Dragon's Breath
by xPaige Turnerx
Summary: AU. A/B. R/Em. E/J. Es/C. What's that? An all out war between vampires, shape shifters, and…what? Where will the girls find time to fall in love? Pssh, you know they will.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or anything familiar you read here.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. A/B. R/Em. E/J. Es/C. An all out war between vampires, shape shifters, and…what?**

_Dragon's Breath._

It is said that long ago before the coming of the New World, there ruled a powerful woman. The entire European continent was under her domain, her palace twice the size of any apartment building you would see nowadays. She was known far and wide, not only for her beauty, but her knowledge, her compassion, and most of all, her title. The one title of the time that could strike inspiration into your heart, or terror, depending on how the woman viewed you.

The Dragon Queen.

The legends that followed the Dragon Queen around were awe-worthy; mysterious and dangerous. Many said that she earned her title as the Dragon Queen after her elite guards killed the Mighty Drake that resided in the cliffs above her palace, and she she took the smallest sip of its blood, the immortal taint running through her veins. Others say she, herself, was the Drake, able to change her form to scorch the very skin of her enemies. Some even ventured the idea that she was born from the womb of a dragon.

The Dragon Queen had never denied any of these stories, though she never acknowledged them as truth either. Preferring to forever remain as a mystery to her people.

For years and years she had ruled, keeping peace in her lands, preventing war and poverty. But soon a new species reared its head; the Vampires. Jealous of the Dragon Queen's power and the adoration she received from the humans, the vampires rebelled. In their eyes, they were on top of the power pyramid. Their skin harder than the toughest stones, their beauty rivalling the even Queen's, their speed trumping any animal, and the fact that they truly appeared to be immortal, never aging.

The battle lasted just a few years, the Queen's guard consisting of only mere humans. It was a gruesome, bloody battle that tore at the Queen's heart every day, one she wasn't confident they would win.

_A scream resonated down the stone hallways, shaking the very walls of the palace. The tall brunette paced her tower room, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Her skin was fair and pale, almost reflecting the light of the moon shining in through he window, her lips red as blood, her hair cascading down her back in rich mahogany locks. Her eyes were not far off in colour, deep chocolate pools._

_The large oak doors to her room burst open, a taller, lanky boy running in. His hair was dripping with sweat, hanging down in his dark, frantic eyes that swept across the room to meet the Queen's. He bowed low, gazing at the stone floor for a few seconds before raising to meet the chocolate brown eyes. "My-my Queen - they've breeched the south gates."_

_The Queen took in the young face under all that hair, ignoring the crimson liquid running from one of the eyebrows. He couldn't have been more than fifteen years of age. She pursed her lips, taking in his quivering arm that held the large blade, his knuckles and fingers tight around the grip; bone white. Her heart ached as she walked over to him, using her thumb to wipe the blood from above his eye, her smile warm. The boy visibly relaxed. "Do you have siblings?" She asked, her voice light and soft; strange for such a powerful woman._

_Nodding furiously, the boy shook off fatigue. "Yes, three younger sisters and an older brother. They're all with my mother, father and Will are out at the docs for the annual fishing trip," He replied._

_"Go." She said, stepping back again, gently taking the long sword from his hand. "Gather your kin and head to the docs. Leave now and take my horse from the stable, he is swift and will get you to where you need to go."_

_He went to object but one sweet smile from the Dragone Queen and his resolve crumbled. "Thank you," He said, his voice brimming with emotion. "Thank you, my Queen."_

_She watched him jog back down the hall, turning to look out her window. Bodies, flame, smoke, and screaming filled her courtyard. Would this nightmare never end?_

Within the final days of the war, the Queen's personal body guard had sent for help. He could not win the war for his Queen, but he could fulfil his duty. He could protect and save her.

And so he brought in alleged Witch after Witch. There was no being more magical than this woman; surely more magic could save her. But each time his hope was crushed as person after person failed to do what they had claimed they could. He had been about ready to hoist the stubborn Queen, who refused to leave her people to perish, over his shoulder and carry her off to safety. If the woman would refuse to see reason, refuse his logic of how she could rebuild her empire and start fresh, then he would refuse to listen to her wishes of fighting the final battle.

No one knows exactly where the Witch came from. No one knew her name, no one recognized her from town, no one could even recall her in history after that night.

But in the wee hours of one morning, the girl walked in through the palace's front doors, up to the very top of the tower, and into the room without knocking.

_The Dragon Queen had never seen such an…odd person in her life. This young girl who stood before her was an anomaly. Her garments made of animal skins, dark and fashioned in styles beyond their time. Her hair, white as freshly fallen snow, up in a knot at the back of her head, with sticks through it. Her eyes were like the clear ponds out in the Queen's garden, her nails the colour of the sun. Her fingers were covered in silver jewellery, all clinking together as they moved, scarves of all colours hanging around her neck._

_The odd girl's lips curved upwards as she greeted the Queen and her body guard. "Hello, my Dragon Queen. I'm here to save you."_

Somehow the Queen was talked into agreeing. Promises of seeking revenge for her people. Of living another day to do something for them.

So the three set off into the cliffs above the palace, finding a cave entrance in the side. It was a narrow path, winding farther and farther into the cliff. A day's journey until they reached the middle; a giant pocket.

_"Ancient and eternal as the stone around you shall you stay, until you are needed once again in a different time, a different day," The Witch recited, mixing together a fine dust in an old bowl. She looked up into the eyes of the Queen and her guard, silently asking one last time if this was truly what they wished. With a final nod from each, she took a pinch of dust, walking over to the faithful guard, focusing as she sprinkled it over him._

_With a shocked gasp, the guard looked down, watching as the stone around his feet began to shift and grow. Mere moments later did it cover his legs, all the way up to his waist._

_The Queen kept her eyes closed until she was sure it was over, looking into the stone face of her one true friend. "I shall join you soon, old friend," she murmured. Then she turned back to the Witch. "I…I do not want us to be unprotected while we are…stone. I do not want all of this to have been for nothing."_

_"What did you have in mind, my Queen?" The Witch asked, sensing the magic stirring within the brunette._

_With a smile, the Queen cupped her hands in front of her mouth, slowly blowing into them. With fascination, the Witch watched as orange flames grew and flickered from the Queen's palms. "The Dragon's Breath has never ceased to provide protection." She said, flicking her fingers. _

_Four flames fell to the floor, dancing around as they grew and grew until they were as tall as the Witch herself. They took on shapes, smooth curves, long limbs, and the Witch was sure she saw a face. Daughters of Flame dancing around their mother._

_Nodding to herself, the Witch approached the Queen, taking a pinch of dust. "Perhaps we shall meet again." She said, letting the slight breeze carry the dust into the Queen._

_Soon the cave became silent, the only motion was the Dancing Daughters whom the Witch watched for many hours. Finally, she took the bowl of dust, smiling sadly at the flames. "I'm afraid you shall share the fate of your mother; forever to be stone until the day comes that she calls or you are needed."_

_With a heave, the Witch launched the bowl of dust into the air, watching it rain down on all four flames. And perhaps if she hadn't fled to miss the dust, she would have seen one Daughter flicker bright blue, before they all, too, turned to stone._

_Bright in the sky, lighting up all the land below, the sun sat for hours. It was only when the ball of heat finally fell past the horizon and the world was bathed in darkness, did the most unthinkable happen._

_The cave was still and silent, nothing but the echoes of wind running through it. But soon the silence was shattered by a creak, something straining under pressure. Moments passed before it turned into a crack and chip._

_With an explosion of stone and screaming, one of the Daughters of Flame crumbled. Only it was not flame that escaped the stone casing, but a body._

_She screamed and screamed, her body falling to the cold floor of the cave, her eyes squeezed shut, fists clenched. It seemed hours before the screaming stopped, her voice rough and gravely. A girl lay on the floor, her skin pale like the moon, steaming rising from it. With weak, never-before-used limbs, she pushed herself to her feet, squinting her eyes. They were an intense blue, one you wouldn't find on the colour spectrum, though the colour itself was closest to the blue at the base of a flame. Another explosion of flame were behind the pupils, reaching out and flickering to the very edges of the irises until they settled once more, down within the pupil. Her hair was long and straight, falling low down her back, dark as the starless night sky, with splashes of that same intense blue._

_One odd, or rather odder, thing about the girl, was that her torso had markings, black like the ink from scrolls and papers, all in the shape of a grand dragon, around from her back, reaching to her abs._

_Confused, she looked around herself, taking in the stone statues. She felt something flutter in her chest and brushed her fingers against the cool stone of the faces. Something… was missing. She felt like she needed to remember something. To know or do something. These statues… were they important?_

_With great reluctance, the girl once more touched each of the stone faces, pausing at the biggest. He was obviously male, his features chiseled and strong. Like all the rest, he was completely stone, from head to toe. But there was one difference. The long sword in its case, strapped to his back. Stone did not encase it like it did the smaller one at his hip. Instead, the sword seemed to sit atop the stone, ready and waiting for her to take. And so she did, slipping the strap over her bare shoulder, feeling the weight of it on her back, and headed for the cave entrance, following that narrow, winding path._

**XXxxXXxxXX**

**Re-uploading this and other chapters. I'm going through for the mistakes and tweaking/changing a few things here and there.**

**-Paige.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or anything familiar you read here.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. A/B. R/Em. E/J. Es/C. An all out war between vampires, shape shifters, and…what?**

_Dragon's Breath._

"Did you hear the news?" Jacob asked, his feet tapping along to the beat of the music that filled the garage. He was a burly boy, though I suppose it came with the Shape Shifter gene; long, bulky muscles under dark, tanned skin. His hair, that grew to nearly as long as mine at times, was recently cropped shirt, the colour of a crow's feathers. His dark eyes were surrounded by think lashes, adding to the tribal look all the boys went out of their way to achieve. The boy also refused to wear a shirt it seemed, seeing as one could never be found on him, thus showing off the abs he was so proud of, constantly.

Sitting there, lazying back on the hood of the big red chevy truck, watching him tinkering around underneath it, I was tempted to grab a pair of drum sticks and play a beat on his stomach. Alas, being the kind soul I was, I just sat there, waiting for him. "I have not. What's the news?" I replied, idly tapping my fingers on the hood. Jake liked tinkering around with cars and trucks far too much, and I too often found myself in this position, waiting for him.

"Apparently the leeches are back," he replied, sliding out from under the truck and got to his feet. He flashed me a grin when he saw the bored expression on my face, wiping his hands on the rag in his back pocket. "Sam's taking a bunch of us to go speak with them, reinforcing the treaty or something."

Donning a thoughtful look, I fiddled with my shoe lace. "If I recall correctly, it was simple enough; no crossing the treaty line, no biting or killing the humans, and, re-establish the treaty with the new generation every time they move back. I don't think it's necessary for Sam to bring a bunch of you, he could do it himself just as easily."

Jake scoffed, giving me a hand and helping me off the truck. "What if they don't feel like playing by the rules anymore? What if they jump Sam?"

Man, he had been watching too many movies lately. I scoffed. "Firstly, this isn't some movie or book or something, this is reality. Secondly, from what your grand-daddy used to say, they were pretty decent people. He respected their coven leader… Carlisle I think was his name?"

He had that look on his face, the one he got whenever I spoke about the past like that. Somewhere between awe and jealousy. "Did you go with him? To make the treaty?" He asked.

Shaking my head, I followed him down the road toward's Emily's place. It was grey out, like usual, and looked like it would be raining soon, with a breeze that was blowing my hair around. Instinctively, I pulled my coat tighter around me. "No, I did not. It was just him and a couple buddies. I had just arrived here and they didn't trust me that much. Yet." Now I was on the council, second to Billy Black.

Jake hummed, nodding his head. Soon his big dark eyes were back on me, wide with excitement. "You should come with us this time!"

"Why?" I asked.

He shrugged his large shoulders, stepping up on Emily's porch. "So they won't be the only ones who were around during the first treaty. You'll know if they try to pull a fast one or not."

"Again, highly doubtful." Sighing as I followed him down the hall to the kitchen were we could smell food cooking, I shook my head. "I'll never understand the dislike and distrust you have for them all. You don't even know them."

Paul grunted as we entered the kitchen, a scowl on his face. Like all the rest of the boys, he looked like a slightly smaller version of Jacob, though his face had harder, sharper lines, and a constant angry expression. "Because they're leeches. They're dead. Not human. They can't be trusted."

Emily smiled warmly and handed me a muffin while setting a large platter of food in front of Jake who licked his lips. I hoisted myself up onto the counter, cocking my head to the side as I stared at Paul. "Need I remind you that I, myself, am not human."

He shrugged his large shoulders. "Yeah, but you're breathing and your heart beats. You live."

"They live as well," I replied. Just not in the traditional sense.

Paul clenched his jaw, his temper flaring. "They're monsters, created by monsters and venom and terror. It's not natural," he spat.

They were all so damn stubborn sometimes. They refused to budge from their perspectives, to try and see things from a different point of view. "I'm born from flame, Paul. How much higher on the natural chain does that rank?" I murmured, staring down at the muffin in my hands. Flashes of images ran through my mind, old memories I'd had at one point. Stone statues. Mountains. Silver jewellery, deep brown eyes. A palace burned to the ground. A throne covered in dust, scorched around the edges. War. Fire. Blood. Screaming.

A warm hand on my shoulder brought me out of my thoughts, Emily's concerned eyes silently asking if I was alright. I forced a smile, nodding to her, and waited until she turned to tend to breakfast once more. The boys were talking about the meeting later tonight again, who was going, who was staying, who was on patrol now that the schedules had to be enforced. They were all unhappy about that, grumbling dark things under their breath. Embry offhandedly muttered what he'd do if he got his hands on one of the "leeches" during a patrol he now had to do during exam week. The rest spoke their agreements.

"Perhaps I will go along to the meeting," I voiced out loud. Not that I actually thought either side would pull something, but if the vampires were even half as aggressive as these guys could be, then a fight could happen if no one was there to stop it.

Again, I really didn't think it would. Sam was reasonable and didn't like fighting.

Jake and Seth grinned at me while the others seemed surprised. Though I was on the council, I had never been this involved in…wolf things. My position was more of the History Keeper, since I knew first hand of all of it.

The patio doors opened as Sam, Leah, and Quil all entered the kitchen, Sam walking over to kiss Emily while the boys whistled. Leah rolled her eyes as she approached me, handing me the long case with the strap. "Took me forever, but I finally finished your damn sheath."

My eyes greedily took in the case, seeing the detail now. It was all fine leather, dark and tough, but flexible. There were designs stitched into the leather all down it, words in old latin. 'Warrior of the Flame.' It had been what all of these guys' great-granddaddies had called me when I first stumbled upon them. Biting my lip, I gripped the sword handle, fitting perfectly in my palm like it was made for me. The silver was shiny, showing my reflection, still sharp as the day it was made. Right at the base, just above the handle, there was a design engraved into the sword, visible when it caught the light. It matched the dragon on my torso, only this one had the sun clutched in its clawed hands.

I re-sheathed it again and slipped the strap across my chest as I hopped down and gripped Leah's shoulder with an appreciative smile. "It's beautiful, thank you."

She bristled, shaking me off and nodded, looking away. "Yeah, well, you're welcome. I guess."

Sam glanced over from the other side of the kitchen, his arms around Emily. "So the guys said you'll be joining Jake, Quil, Leah, and I tonight?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I thought I might, yes. Is that okay?" I asked, wondering if maybe he was bringing it up because he didn't want me coming along. I remember the last pack, about thirty years or so back, a bunch of them had a problem with me. I guess because they weren't really a pack.

They had the gene and all, but since there were no vampires living in Forks to trigger it; they never shifted. So while they weren't human, per say, they weren't quite shape shifters either because they couldn't change their shape. Billy was actually one of them, still is, but they've sort of just claimed the title of human again now that there's a new pack who _are_ shifting.

Which is weird, because the Cullens hadn't moved back yet. It was like their genes knew that they'd be coming into contact with vampires eventually though, and everyone started shifting.

Anyway, back to my point. The old 'wolves' didn't like me because, for one reason – I was on the council and not part of their 'tribe' and not 'one of them', and another reason was because I was the only real supernatural thing around. I still get the same glares from the same people, only now they're all older and fathers and I'm pals with their sons, so they've got to be at least civil.

So, while I had a good feeling that Sam didn't hate me, he might not exactly like me, seeing as his dad had a huge, and still does, grudge against me.

"We'll be heading to the treaty line after the sun goes down and after we have something to eat. Just want to let you know in case Jake forgets and leaves the house without you."

Jake huffed, but otherwise remained quiet because he _did_ have a habit of forgetting to tell people important stuff. So he just glared at his eggs before shoving a forkful in his mouth, chewing with a pout. But he probably wouldn't forget to tell me, or if he did, I'd still know. I had been living in the Black house since it was first built by Billy's great-grandfather, when he took me in first. Before that I had been staying with one of the older families who had lived here longer, the Crows.

"Alright. You going as wolves, or not?" Did I need to bring a bike or something to try and keep up?

Leah scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'd rather not meet these vampires for the first time while I'm naked."

Grabbing himself a bagel, Quil sat down next to Jake, patting his shoulder. "We'll shift, just in case something does happen, but Sam's staying human so he can talk to them." He grinned up at me with a wink. "But you're more than welcome to ride me there."

"The offer is tempting, little boy," I replied, not tempted in the slightest. "But you're a little young for me."

Chris, one of the newer members, guffawed and slapped the table. "Yeah, like one hundred years too young," he laughed.

I flashed him a playful smile, knowing how curious these boys got. "As far as you know."

He stopped laughing slowly, his eyes growing. "How old are you?" He asked, completely serious and disbelieving. He quickly looked to Jake and Leah, both of whom shrugged their shoulders, before looking back to me.

Tapping my nose, I picked a piece of bacon from Jake's plate. "Don't you know how impolite it is to ask a lady her age?" He pouted, along with some of the other boys. I could never fathom why they were so interested in me. Really, I wasn't any more fascinating than they were. "But I suppose a hint wouldn't hurt… your great-grand daddies were also _way_ too young for me. More than a hundred years too young for me."

The thing they all didn't know was that even if I wanted to, I couldn't tell them how old I was. Not exactly. I could give a rough number, but that was it. My mind either couldn't hold all of my memories, or something had happened and they had been buried. My earliest memories are just little snippets, fuzzy and disoriented. They last fractions of seconds.

"Gah! Oh, come on! Har har, guys." Nick seethed, holding the ketchup bottle over his plate that was covered in the stuff. The lid was buried somewhere beneath all the ketchup, on top of his food, and it was everywhere. All over his hand and the table, his lap.

A frown pulled at my lips as I leaned back against the counter, watching as the others laughed and Emily giggled, handing him a cloth. He growled low in his chest, glaring at everyone as he got cleaned up.

Had I ever had a family like this?

**XXxxXXxxXX**

My reflection stared back at me with pursed lips. It was just about time to leave if we were going to make it to the treaty line on time, and I was waiting for Jake to finish scarfing down all the leftovers from supper. That boy could eat.

My hair, black with splashes of blue that never seemed to fade, was up in a knot at the back of my head, smooth long sticks holding it in place, though I couldn't quite get my bangs back there, they weren't long enough, and so they hung down, brushing my chin. My eyes, that odd blue, blinked at me and I tried to read whatever was in them. That never worked though; you could never read yourself. My skin was pale as ever, even with the time I had spent in Phoenix prior to coming down here all those years ago, nearly reflecting the moon's light. I wore a light hooded shirt, black, and another light coat over top, also black. The buttons were shiny and silver, giving me some colour, as I did them up. My hands in fingerless gloves, the sword strapped across my chest and on my back. The only clean pair of jeans were the faded ones, the rest in the laundry, and a pair of black combat boots.

The door whined in protest and threatened to cave in as Jake knocked on it from the other side. "You ready in there? We've got to go!" He hollered.

Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Jake, how many times do I have to tell you that I can hear you just fine from wherever in the house. You don't need to shout," I muttered back, knowing he would hear just fine as well.

"Right. Sorry," he replied, his voice much quieter this time. "You ready?"

I opened the door and nodded, smiling at him and he grinned that lopsided grin of his. "Let's go; we're going to be late as it is, Mr. I-have-to-eat-just-this-last-steak."

Shrugging his massive shoulders, Jake followed me outside. "I'm a growing boy, Bells. I need my food." I just rolled my eyes, walking to the trees of the forest, turning around while Jake shifted. He was one of the better shifters in the pack, it taking him much less time and much less painful.

A cold wet nose poking my shoulder told me he was finished and I turned around to face the giant, russet wolf. He wagged his tail, nodding to his shoulder/back, offering me a lift. Jake was like my brother, hell, he might as well be my brother, and I knew he didn't think of me in that way, so I hopped on without hesitation.

Soon we were a racing bullet, shooting off through the trees at breakneck speeds towards the treaty line. Once we came upon it, Jake started following it down, farther and farther into the forest. The moon was bright tonight, bathing the entire woods in it's glow, lighting everything up, casting shadows here and there that we ran through.

When Jake scrunched up his nose and huffed, I knew he had picked up the vampires' scents and we were close. I just didn't think we were that close, so I wasn't prepared when he skidded to a stop in a clearing, launching me off over his head. With more luck than skill at that point, I managed to land on my feet, but Leah had to catch me and hold me up until I got my bearings. She smiled and shook her head. "You sure know how to make an entrance, don't you?"

"You should see me make an exit," I replied stiffly, straightening myself out and tossed a glare at Jake who grinned, going to stand on the other side of Sam.

Said boy cleared his throat and I shuffled behind him and Leah. I wasn't there to be a part of the meeting, per say, more… an outside third party just to keep the peace. However, something caught my eye and I quickly racked my brain, my memories, going over what Chief Black had told me about the vampires all those years ago. Frowning, I quickly counted them again. Two of them weren't in the coven last time. Hopefully Sam wouldn't notice…

"There's only supposed to be five of you." Sam said, his voice barely more than a growl. Of course he'd notice. Great.

One of the vampires stepped forward, obviously the leader of the coven. His hair was short and blonde, slicked back, his skin even more pale than mine. His eyes were the brightest golden, full of kindness and compassion, his face open and friendly. He looked like he was bitten in his late twenties, early thirties, and his build was average. Not a stick but not all muscle bound. So this was Carlisle. "Yes, we've adopted two more people into our family since the last time we were here in Forks." Even his voice was kind and friendly.

Sam's hands clenched into fists as he glared at the man. "Then you broke part of the treaty. You're not allow to bite or kill _any_ humans _any_where," he snarled.

Another blonde scoffed. Her own golden eyes were darkening by the second, her glare nearly Quil reeling back with its intensity. Golden locks cascaded down her back, her features smooth and soft. Her beauty was almost painful to look at. "Seriously? What we do or don't do shouldn't be your business in the first place, but it sure as hell isn't your business when it happens all the way across the world."

Quil and Jake growled lowly in their chests, tensing as Carlisle held up his hand to the blonde. "Rosalie, enough. There is a perfectly good reason for-"

"I don't want to hear your damn _excuses_," Sam growled, losing his cool. Obviously Quil and Jake's emotions were affecting him, since they all played off each other in the pack. Even Leah was tense, her hands balled into fists in her pockets.

Clearing my throat, I put my hand on Jake's side, gently tugging his fur to calm him down while I spoke to Sam. "At least hear him out, Sam. If it's reasonable then you're going to feel foolish later." I said quickly.

He huffed, staring at me with his dark eyes for a moment, considering. He wasn't happy about it, but he finally nodded and looked expectantly at Carlisle who smiled gratefully at me. I quickly looked away. "Both Alice and Jasper were not changed by me. They came across us in their travelings as nomads, and became a part of our family."

"I'm supposed to believe this?" Sam asked in disbelief. "How stupid do you think I am?"

Leah sighed, rolling her eyes. "Take the stick out of your ass and listen to reason for one damn second, Sam. When have they ever lied? When have they ever given you reason to not trust them personally? Just finish up this treaty so we can leave already," She growled herself.

"What about her?" Another one of the vampires asked. "We're not allowed to adopt previously turned vampires because you thought we bit humans, but you're allowed to recruit them into your little pack?" He boomed, crossing his large arms. His hair was dark, not quite black, and also slicked back like Carlisle's though his had a few rebellious curls that wouldn't slick back with the rest of his hair, and that along with the dimples he had gave him a very child like aura. The rest of him didn't. He was tall, not quite as tall as Jake was, who's the tallest in the pack, but nearly twice as thick with muscle. Essentially, he was what I assumed a tank would look like were it to be turned into a human.

Another growl erupted from Leah this time as she stepped forward, half in front of me while she glared at him. Her long raven hair blew in the slight breeze, nearly flicking like an angry cat's tail. "She's none of your damn business."

"Leah, calm down," I murmured, putting my hand on her shoulder.

She was very protective of me. I could never figure out why, because she hated my guts when she was a little child. She would scream and throw tantrums every time I watched her or any of the other kids while mothers were busy. After a while she took to glaring at me, and then on her fifteenth birthday, it was like someone flipped a switch.

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Everyone seems to be a little on edge tonight. Perhaps we could just finish up this meeting and head our separate ways. I'd like to get settled in before work tomorrow, and if I'm to do that, I need to start unpacking soon."

Quil grunted with a nod, looking to Sam who pursed his lips. "Which ones are new?" He asked me, staring hard at all the vampires.

Again, I went back to the day Jake's grandfather described the Pale Ones he and his pack came across. "There was only two blondes at the time and three males. He's one." I said, nodding to the blonde in the back. He seemed surprised, like the rest of them. Though his hair was the same colour as Carlisle's, it was very different. There was also honey gold mixed in it, and it was curly/wavy. His golden eyes were the darkest of the vampires, and he was built better than Carlisle. Not quite as thick as the larger one, but still muscular, like the boys in the pack. His pale skin was covered in scars it seemed, all along his neck, on his hands, and a couple on his face. The only thing strong enough to do that would be another vampire or a shifter, and since it wasn't like anything a shifter could do, I assumed it was another vampire. I briefly wondered if he was in the Vampire Wars, back in the day.

"None of them were short either," I finished, looking to the last vampire on the end. I faltered, feeling a slight tickle in the back of my head again, and a memory, trying to surface from the murky waters of my mind. I couldn't get it though, and wondered why she looked so familiar. Her hair was also short, sticking up in all directions in styled chaos, just as black as mine, so silky it nearly reflected the moonlight as well. Her skin was alabaster, and completely blemish free like a porcelain doll's, her lips a blood red. Her golden eyes shone brightly in the dark, deeper honey gold rings spaced throughout the irises, surrounded by thick black lashes. Said eyes held an intensity as they seemingly stared right through me to my very depths, making me shift and want to look anywhere but her, yet at the same time I just couldn't bring myself to break the gaze.

Sam nodded, squaring his shoulders. "Fine, the treaty is re-established. But we'll be keeping an eye on you, especially those two." He said, jerking his chin in the new vampires' directions. "Let's go."

We were about half way back through the woods and to the res when Sam glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. "I suppose you're not thinking too highly of us right now, and the way we acted, are you?"

My face took on a thoughtful look as I contemplated it. "True, you could have handled that better… but I understand the struggle it takes to fight your nature to hate them. To kill them." Leah looked over at me ask well, giving me a look for my obvious question dodge. So I shook my head. "No, though, I don't think any different of you. I admire the effort all of you have always put forth in coexisting with the Cullens."

He nodded, pursing his lips as he hesitantly met my eyes. "Well I hope you still understand when I ask you to enrol in Forks High to keep an eye on the town for us who can't cross the boarder."

Uh…what?

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

**Changed a couple things in here, too. Those of you reading this for the first time, or re-reading it now, I hope y'all are enjoying.**

**-Paige**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or anything familiar you read here.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. A/B. R/Em. E/J. Es/C. An all out war between vampires, shape shifters, and…what?**

_Dragon's Breath._

_"Where is the Dragon Queen?"_

_With clenched fists and a smouldering anger burning in my stomach, I managed to refrain myself from getting up and coming to her aid. The only thing keeping me kneeling there with the other two house servants of the girl's, was her relaxed stance. She didn't seem to have a care in the world as she stood there, examining her onyx nails. "You're quite repetitious, you know, Aro?" She said, without looking up._

_The ancient vampire rubbed his temples as he stood from his throne, waving off the twins who made to walk with him. "I am trying to be patient with you, witch, but you're making it incredibly difficult. I shall ask you one more time politely, and after that I will have Jane ask however she pleases." He replied, his ruby red eyes darkening shades._

_"Dear boy," she cooed when she finally looked up, shaking her head at him. My eyes remained on the smaller female vampire waiting impatiently. "She has been missing for more than three of your life times, what makes you think I know anything about her whereabouts?"_

_Aro hissed, his black eyes narrowed. He blurred over to her and I tensed, his cold marble hands wrapping around her throat and sliding her up the stone wall. "You are just as eternal as she! You hid her and now you will tell me where she is!" He demanded. I cursed the witch and her wishes for me to leave my blade at her home and pose as a mere house servant. _

_Curly white locks of her hair fell down on his arms as she looked down at him, her own hands holding onto his. "Tis for your own safety that I not tell you, child." Aro faltered, looking up at her curiously. "One of her daughters has long since awoken and set out into the world. Should you hunt down her mother… the results would not be pleasant." My jaw clenched painfully._

_Caius scoffed from his throne, his lips curling up in a smirk. "There isn't a force on this planet that can stand against the Volturi, witch, not even you."_

_Her own smirk and certainty made his slowly fade. "Even vampires get burnt while playing with fire."_

"Get up, kid."

"Huh?" I jerked forward, blinking rapidly and looking up into the annoyed face of the bus driver.

"I said, get up. I gotta leave and you gotta get to class," he grunted, pointing out one of the windows.

Shifting to straighten up in my seat, I looked out the window and frowned. A parking lot full of students and their cars, talking to one another, laughing, walking to class. Everyone who was on the bus when I boarded was off now as well. "Sorry." I murmured, slipping the strap of my messenger bag across my chest and quickly scurried off the bus. A few kids laughed as they watched me, ones who had been unwilling to share their seats with me. Immature children.

I was glad that Leah helped me get ready earlier, even if she did it grudgingly. What I had picked out would have been… disastrous. In my defence, I hadn't taken school in many, many years. But still, it would have been much too formal. Leah went through my stuff and leant me some of hers, like her black jeans and her Chuck Taylors. I stuck with the dark blue button up, but lost the tie and suspenders, and rolled the sleeves up to my elbows for a more casual look, and grabbed a black wool coat.

"Well, well, well. Fresh meat." A rough voice said behind me, very subtle octaves switching from a slightly higher note to a lower one within the sentence a few times. Most people probably wouldn't have been able to pick that out though, not unless they were listening for it. Which would mean this boy was finishing going through puberty. Hormone central. Great. I steeled myself before turning around, meeting the struggling-to-be-suave smirk of a tall blonde boy. His hair was gelled and spike up, his eyes a light blue, his face still round, with facial hair just starting to grow in patches. "The name's Mike." He stuck out his hand.

"Bella…Swan." I said I said slowly. I couldn't quite remember if that was the name Billy gave them when he signed me up here, but I was pretty sure it was.

This Mike guy put his arm around my shoulders as his buddies formed a semi circle around us while he started leading me to the main building. "I certainly haven't seen you around here before. Where are you from?"

"La Push. Down on the reservation," I replied, trying not to choke on his cologne that I was pretty sure he bathed in that morning.

He scrunched up his face. "What's a pretty little thing like you living with a bunch of dirty-"

Mike let out a surprisingly high pitched little shriek as he fell flat on his face on the pavement. I reclined my foot that I had tripped him with, stepping over the boy with a glare at him "Watch where you step, Mike. If it's on an insult again I can't promise you won't cry," I warned, walking off into the main building.

The woman sitting behind the desk was raised out of her seat, looking out the glass door I just came through at Mike who was pulling himself to his feet and muttering dark things. She looked back over to me with wide eyes and I flashed a bright smile. "Um, hello." She said, slowly sitting back down.

"Hi. I need to pick up my schedule. My name's Bella Swan." I said, stepping up to her desk. "I'm new and starting today."

The woman nodded, going back to her computer to type something in. Her face lit up with a giant grin and she started scurrying about, grabbing papers and such. "Right! Well, this is a map of the grounds, and your schedule, and this here is a paper I need all your teachers to sign so you can bring it back at the end of the day. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, okay?" She said, handing me all the papers.

"Right," I nodded, taking them. "Goodbye," I muttered quietly as she watched me leave with that same beaming face.

Taking a deep breath, I turned and faced the full parking lot, where everyone seemed to stop what they were doing to look and stare at me. Great. Things were already looking up. I was going to kill Sam later.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

So this was…weird, to say the least.

All of my morning classes had gone smoothly, for the most part, other than everyone staring at me or whispering to their friends when they thought I couldn't hear. Sometimes they'd even man up the courage to ask me their questions, and I'd reply, and then they'd go back to whispering to their friends again and staring. Jessica Stanley was one of those, only she didn't go back to the whispering to her friends. No, she kept on with the questions.

She asked me where I was from, and I told her the reservation. More people started whispering after that, and then she asked me why she never saw me around. Her and her little group, apparently, liked to go to First Beach when it was nice out. She said she saw all the reservation kids and teenagers on the beach all the time, but couldn't ever remember seeing me. I honestly didn't know why she had never seen me before, but I counted myself lucky. I don't think I could have outran her on the beach. At least here, I could escape in the crowded halls, which I proceeded to do once class was over and I realized she was following me.

The rest of the classes were fairly nice. The teachers didn't make me do that ridiculous new kid thing where you stand in front of the class and say your name and where you're from and stuff. That would have been very repetitious, even for the other students who had probably already heard all that from Jessica. And there was no seating plan, so I was free to sit in the back corner of every class, which was a bonus.

Until History. It was there that I ran into my first Cullen, alone without any of the wolves there with me.

The only teacher so far who had arranged seating because kids were obnoxious in his class and he had to separate a bunch of them. So the only free seat and place he could put me was beside Rosalie Cullen.

Her glare from the previous night was back tenfold today, constantly on me as she slid her chair to the very far side away from me, almost leaning out into the isle away from me. She didn't utter a sound, not a word, her eyes a dark amber and narrowed into an ice glare right at me, her lips angrily pursed, probably to keep from biting my head off. Her hands and perfectly manicured nails were gripping the table so tight that I could hear it crack slightly and creak under the pressure, though she made no move to loosen her grip or let go as she continued to glare at me.

I tilted my head to the side, studying her body language, and couldn't fathom why, exactly, she was mad at me specifically. I wasn't part of the pack or a natural born enemy, I hadn't said a single word to her, and even if she had a problem with the other wolves, it was rude to take it out on myself. Having to sate my curiosity, I leaned forward and lowered my voice as to not interrupt the teacher. "Why are you glaring at me?"

Her voice was also low, but deadly when she spoke, her eyes darkening even more. "You…smell…like…_dog_," She hissed.

Ohhh. Right. All the vampires smelled incredibly sweet, Jake was always saying. But also disgusting at the same time. He described it as 'smelling like a carcass dipped in a tub of perfume'. And I heard a while ago, that the wolves smelled like a mixture of garbage and wet dog to the vampires. My nose crinkled at the thought of me smelling like that to anyone, even if it was just them. "I hadn't realized that, sorry. I'm afraid that I will have to continue reeking to you, as it's unavoidable." Even if I showered twice a day and wore my clothes straight from the drier, it would only help a little. All of the reservation would smell like that, especially Billy's house with Jake in it. I was going to smell like this no matter what. "You still look as if you're going to kill me for it."

Her expression didn't even flicker as she stared at me. "I haven't decided yet."

The teacher cleared his throat, waiting for everyone to stop talking and working so he could have their attention. When they didn't, he cleared it louder, paused, and then slammed the text book down on his desk. Everyone froze and looked up at his grin. "So before we leave for today, I thought'd I'd mention the project…"

A bunch of kids groaned.

He held up his hands, nodding. "I know, I know, it's a pain in the ass. But it has to be done. I'll make it easier on you and let you pick your partners though. Together, decide on a famous American who has helped the country in some way, and I want to know all about them. I'm talking about gory details, guys, I want to know what they ate for breakfast, what shoe they tied first, etcetera." He went on explaining different things while everyone turned to their friends or made eye contact around the room, teaming up already. I glanced at Rosalie and saw her doodling in her notebook with a bored look on her face until the teacher stopped in front of our table. "Miss Hale, I know you prefer to work alone, and I have no problem with it. All these guys working together combined couldn't get your grades, but Bella here is new and will need some help, so I thought you could be partners with her this one time."

Rosalie's smile tightened, her eyes darkening again as she continued to look at her book, and nodded jerkily.

"Great. Now, Bella, that doesn't mean you make Rosalie do all the work. Understood?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." I nodded.

He smiled, leaning back against the empty table in front of ours. "Good. Where are you from, Bella? Not anywhere sunnier than here, I presume," he laughed.

Yeah, yeah, I'm real pale. Got it.

"The reservation, sir," I replied.

He donned a thoughtful look. "Oh? So just a school switch?" I nodded. "How come, if I may ask?"

My shoulder rose and fell in a shrug. "I… had trouble with another student back at my old school. A lot of trouble, so I switched schools."

He frowned. "Oh, well I'm sorry to hear that, Bella. If anyone gives you any trouble here, let me know." He said and I nodded again, watching as he walked off.

Rosalie scoffed so quietly I almost missed it, but I didn't and turned to look at her. Her golden eyes widened slightly for a second before her brows furrowed. "You're not human," She stated.

It was my turn to scoff this time. "I fail to see how that is any of your business."

An angry growl rumbled from her chest as she glared at me once more. "You're not human, and you certainly stink like one of the mongrels. Perhaps you really are one. A lesser one, but still a mutt."

My spine straightened as my own eyes narrowed into a glare, my voice taking on a fierce tone. "Stop insulting them," I hissed.

Rosalie's eyes flashed, onyx orbs narrowing as she leaned closer to me. Her blood red lips curled up over her elongated fangs in a silent snarl, fury rolling off her in waves. She was so close her cool breath fanned over my face and I thought for sure she was going to try and kill me.

I blinked to see Rosalie sitting stoically back in her seat, facing the front, and void of any emotion. The bell rang and she casually gathered her things while I sat still, watching her. Just before she left, her golden eyes met mine. "It isn't healthy to push my buttons," She stated, like she were commenting that the sky was, in fact, blue.

Humming to myself in a pondering sort of way, I began to collect my own things.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

"Remind me to castrate Sam when I get back home tonight, okay?" I sighed into the phone.

Leah laughed on the other line and I smiled, wishing I were chilling with her back on the reservation. As it was, I was laying back on one of the picnic tables on the school grounds with my legs hanging off the side, staring up at the cloudy sky. It was lunch, but I didn't feel like going to the cafeteria and have everyone stare at me the entire time while I sat alone. Hell no. So instead, I came out here to call Leah.

_"I'll hold him down while you do it,"_ Leah agreed. _"How are you, though? You're okay, right? None of the bloodsuckers have tried anything, have they?"_

"Like what?" I asked. "What does Sam think they'll actually do? They're vegetarian, they don't drink from humans. This is all pointless."

_"I'm more concerned about what they'll try with you. I… I don't like the way the short one was looking at you last night,"_ Leah replied.

My brows furrowed as I tried to think back to last night. I remember her eyes were intense, but I thought I was just… I don't know, seeing things? "Well they haven't 'tried anything' yet, nor do I think they will."

_"Doesn't mean you should let your guard down. They're dangerous, Bella."_

I laughed, shaking my head. "It's like you guys forget I'm not human as well. I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for a while now."

_"When will you tell me how old you are?"_

When I can tell myself. "I don't know why you all want to know so bad. There are plenty older people out there." Maybe...

_"Older shifters and vampires maybe. Not anyone like you,"_ She chuckled. _"You never talk about your life before coming to the res. You're the only mystery around these parts, can you blame us for wanting to know?"_

"I suppose not," I murmured. "If there's one thing I've come to learn over the years, it's that you shifters, vampires, and humans are all very curious."

_"And you're not?"_

I smirked. "Well I'm the one with the answers."

"Indeed, you are." A new voice said.

It was high and light, sounding almost like wind chimes if you focused enough on it. I had never heard a voice with such…musical qualities to it, and I had never wanted to hear more of a voice so much in my life. "I'm going to have to let you go now, Leah. Talk to you later," I murmured, hanging up and sliding the phone into my pocket to turn around.

Alice Cullen stood there, leaning against one of the school buildings a few yards away. Her short, inky hair was up in styled chaos still, her skin just as pale as any other vampire. Her golden eyes were bright and lit aflame with curiosity, still holding that…intensity as she looked at me. I briefly wondered if she looked at everyone else like that. She offered me a friendly smile. "Sorry to interrupt, I couldn't help myself."

My shoulders rose and fell. "Not a problem."

"How is your first day amongst the humans going?" She asked casually.

But I saw the set up and smirked. "I might not look it, but I'm smarter than that. I would have thought you figured, at least, that much out by now."

Alice chuckled. "We haven't figured out much, that's for certain. The only things we know for sure is that you smell like dog," Thanks for that. "You know…many things, and you have impossible eyes."

My brows furrowed again. "Impossible eyes?"

She nodded in my direction, her face taking on an admiring look. "Your eyes are a blue no human has."

"And yet here I have them."

"Yes, you do," Alice agreed with a slight smile. "But how?"

"That is the question of the day, isn't it?"

"I have a feeling it will be the question for a while yet," She commented, pushing off the wall as the bell rang and kids started pouring out of the cafeteria. "Maybe you could answer one of my questions today though?"

Sliding off the picnic table, I pulled my bag over my shoulder, looking at the vampire curiously. "Depends on the question."

Alice golden eyes traced over my face once more, a slight frustration in them. "Do I look as familiar to you as you do to me?"

My eyebrows shot up in wonder, taking this piece of information and storing it with the rest in the far reaches of my mind. "Yes, actually."

Alice stepped closer to me, all pretences and joking aside. Desperation coloured her face and tone as she stared pleadingly up into my face. "Do… Do you know me?"

My face scrunched up, almost in pain as I searched through every single memory I had, trying to piece together the fuzzy ones or the faded ones, trying to place her. The really murky ones tried to surface, but I couldn't get them. They were too old, too far gone to pull back. My head slowly shook side to side. "I can't remember."

**XXxxXXxxXX**

**Another chapter dooooone.**

**-Paige**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or anything familiar you read here.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. A/B. R/Em. E/J. Es/C. An all out war between vampires, shape shifters, and…what?**

_Dragon's Breath._

_Flashes of different things bombarded me, scenes of all kinds; buildings, signs, scenery, rooms, people, etc._

_A large sign, light blue with a white border: _**Welcome to Biloxi.**_ A picture of a family was on it; a man and his wife, two kids; one young girl and a younger boy, all of them with smiles on their faces. The area around the sign is nice; a bright sunny day, though many white fluffy clouds threatened to block out the light. Vibrant green grass growing tall in all the fields and ditches, the main road light and gravel; very homey. The trees reached up to the sky, strong and full of life, full to the brim with leaves and sprouting flowers._

_Everything flashes again and blacks out for a few brief heartbeats. Adrenaline runs through me, I feel like I've just run a marathon, but I'm not out of breath. I'm not flushed, tired, or anything. The once bright sunny sky is dark and grey; one large cloud covering the entire sky; angry and threatening to storm on me. The gravel road isn't so homey anymore; covered in cement and stained with oil, gas, tire marks, etc. The sign is old and worn out; the blue faded and looking almost grey; the white turning a gross yellow. The sign has been vandalized; graffiti covering it; the children and wife with large moustaches spray painted on, the rest of it more disturbing and not worth mentioning or looking at twice. The trees aren't dead, but they haven't bloomed in a long time; their branches sharp and gnarled._

_The silence is shattered by a single sound; the drip of liquid colliding with the pavement beneath my feet. I look down, my eyes locking on the crimson drop that just fell from my chin after having run down the side of my face. Losing interest quickly, my blue eyes return to the sign once more, recognition sweeping through me. It's short lived though, soon the frenzied emotions return and I'm off again, entering this town, Biloxi. Searching. Frantically. Not like the first time I was there; casually finding my way, unconsciously being drawn there. This time is rushed. I must hurry. I already know my destination, my goal, and I need to be faster._

_Because I know he's still after her, and it's become a race. A race between us, to get to her fist; to kill her or to save her._

_My grip on the handle of my sword tightens._

Gasping, I shot up into a sitting position, my chest heaving.

Jake was still snoring, flopped onto his stomach across the room on his bed; his feet and legs dangling off the end of his bed while his head was buried under his pillow. His massive chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, and I worked to get mine to match and calm down.

I really hated those dreams. I had been having them all week, it seemed. Ever since the Cullens got here and I was sent to Forks High every day. I didn't know what they had to do with it, or why I was having them in the first place, and it was starting to bother me. Who knew if they were just dreams or something more. Memories? And in which case, why couldn't they be more clear? Why couldn't they last longer than a few seconds? Why couldn't they make sense?

The moon was still high up in the sky, shining through our window and bathing the room in its glow. I stared at it for a few moments, collecting myself and waiting for my heart to stop pounding. With a sigh, I lay back in my hammock. When I first started living with the Blacks, the house was little more than a shack really. There wasn't a lot of room and I had shared one with Jake's great grand uncle, who also took up a lot of space. So we set a hammock up along one of the side walls, above and across the room from his bed so we could both have some space while we slept. Since then, the house went under some renovations; was torn down and added to a couple of times, but the habit of the hammock stuck; I had gotten used to and preferred it now.

A grunt erupted from Jake's chest as he turned onto his side, his snoring getting louder in the process. Closing my eyes, I let his snores lull me back into a slumber.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

"So, you had a rough night?" Billy asked, looking up over his shoulder at me as I pushed his wheel chair down the street.

Jake was working on the truck again, but it was game night or something of the sort, and Billy wasn't very patient. He wanted to get over to Harry's as soon as possible, as to not miss out on anything. So I offered to walk with him over there, more of a way to offer him help in a way that wouldn't make him feel incapable. Billy had always been sensitive about his condition after the accident, and only let me and Jake push him, otherwise he'd wheel himself, or if unable to, he'd sit there and think of another option. I could understand that; I wouldn't ask for help lightly either, and not from anyone that I wasn't extremely close to like a son or in my case, me; someone he had known all his life.

Raising an eyebrow, I regarded him curiously. "And how would you know that?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "The walls aren't as thick as you'd think." I hummed, looking off into the trees as we continued on down the road. "It's been like this for the past little while. What's wrong, Bella?"

"Nothing's…wrong, per say," I replied.

Billy scoffed. "That's not an answer."

"I beg to differ, it _is_ an answer. Perhaps not the one you were expecting or desired, but it is an answer nonetheless."

Rolling his eyes, Billy shifted the bag of snacks and case of beer on his lap. "Alright, _why_ have you been having trouble sleeping lately?"

I pursed my lips, images of my dreams flashing before my eyes until I shook my head. "I've been having dreams. They have been making it…difficult to sleep. I can't seem to make sense of them, or find the purpose or cause. It's bothersome because I know that they can't be random. They're too…there's something about them, they just can't be random. I feel like I'm missing something, something big and obvious."

"I've never seen you this shaken up about something," Billy commented, half amused and half concerned. "Are they nightmares or something?"

"Not in the classic sense," I answered, shaking my head. "They aren't frightening. There isn't anything scary about them. But, I'm afraid in them, not for myself either."

"For who?" He asked curiously.

"I don't know. I've yet to have one last long enough for me to get any kind of information from it. Except for last night, maybe. Biloxi." Billy gave me one of his 'huh?' looks and I elaborated. "That is where one of them took place; Biloxi."

"Have you ever been?"

"In reality? I'm not certain." I shook my head again. "My dream would have me believe so, wouldn't it. It doesn't matter, it is nothing of consequence yet anyways. Don't dwell on it; enjoy your game night, Billy." I said, patting his shoulder as I wheeled him up onto the Clearwater's porch.

The door was nearly ripped off its hinges as Leah came racing out, pulling her coat on in the process. "Hanging out with Bella!" She called over her shoulder, grinning at us as she held the door open for Billy. "Game night," she shuddered, hopping the railing of the porch and looking back up at me. "It's my shift for patrol in an hour or so, I thought you'd join me."

"What if I had plans?" I inquired.

She snorted. "Since when do you ever have plans, Bella? I've never once seen you leave the res on your own or by choice. Honestly, you're the biggest hermit I know."

We started down one of the back roads, farther away from all the houses as lightning streaked through the dark sky. "I like it here."

"I like it here too," Leah responded. "But that doesn't mean I'd want to stay stuck here all my life. I'm bound, by the pack, to do so. But you, you're free to come and go as you please. The world is your oyster, Bella, you could go anywhere, do anything, and yet all you do is sit around here year after year." She shook her head, looking out to the waters of the beach. "You're supposedly a warrior of flame - whatever that means, you should be on an adventure or something."

Leah had always felt strongly about traveling. She was one of those people who were never in the same place twice, never tied down, always on the go to explore and see new things. Once she Shifted, that all changed. She wasn't just tied down, but she was chained down, and she hadn't let that go since. "I've done that," I murmured. "I've seen the world and had my adventures; they weren't fun. They were difficult and horrible at the time. I enjoy the stability of the reservation. I enjoy belonging somewhere."

"Don't you already belong somewhere? Didn't you, before you came here?" She asked, walking down through the sand towards the water of the beach.

There were a few groups of kids out on the beach, all huddled together by their big camp fires. Some of them I recognized from school, others I didn't. There were a few tents out, though it wasn't uncommon for people to camp out here on the beach; it was really nice. Leah ignored them, sitting down by the water's edge and took off her shoes. The water would come in, splashing her feet before retreating, only to do it again a few moments later. I sat down beside her, keeping my feet away from the water. "That's not my point. I belong here now. I am here now, and I have no intention of leaving any time soon."

She sighed deeply, tucking her dark hair behind her ear to look at me with her dark eyes. "Just as well, I can't imagine trying to survive around here without you. You know how boring that would be?"

"Tragically boring, apparently," I replied.

Leah chuckled, lightly slapping my arm and looked out to the waves again. "What do you think of the bloodsuckers?" She asked quietly after a few moments.

Tilting my head, I, too, looked out at the waves. "They're a very old species. Physically powerful, but weak when it comes to their thirst and control over themselves. They-"

"I meant your personal opinion on the local ones, you dork," she snapped dryly.

"Ah, right," I muttered. "Well, I can't say much as I haven't really conversed with them. No more than necessary in class. They seem cautious of me, especially the blonde female one, Rosalie. She is…strong. I can feel it."

That caught her attention as she sat up straighter, raising an eyebrow. "Do you think they suspect you're more than human?"

More than human, less than human. I nodded, staring at the small waves of the water. "They know I am, they just don't know _what_ I am."

"Who does?" she snorted.

"They all seem civilized and polite though. Alice is very friendly, and so is Emmett though he has an odd way of showing it," I continued. "He likes to poke fun and laugh at people a lot, but I believe he means well when he does it. The other blonde one has trouble with his thirst," Leah tensed. "But he takes precautions and keeps his distance from the humans, usually sticking with the bronze haired one. They are close; mates, perhaps. As are Emmett and Rosalie, I think."

"Huh," she murmured, her face thoughtful. "I never really thought of them having mates or relationships like that. I always just kind of thought of them as walking corpses, munching on humans and terrorizing people."

"I know, you all are born bias to them. Especially Paul; all of his family, fathers and grandfathers alike, hated the Cullens with a passion. His great grand-daddy got off on the wrong foot with one of them, Emmett I believe, when they first made up the treaty. No one had really set the boarder yet, and I can't remember who, but one of the two crossed it without realizing it. There was a big fight until Chief Black broke it up." Sighing, I fell back against the sand, looking up at the sky that was threatening to start storming.

"Bet it was the leech," Leah mumbled absently until I looked over at her with another raised eyebrow. She smiled sheepishly. "I mean, it might have been. You never know-" She swatted at me again, rolling her eyes with an annoyed huff. "Jeesh, don't expect me to get over this bias the second you mention it, you know. Takes time."

Leah paused and then braced herself, capturing my curiosity, and I sat back up to look around. However, I wasn't quick enough, and Seth tackled me to the ground in front of her with a triumphant cry. "Ha! First one to take down the warrior! Embry owes me fifty big ones," he crooned, getting back to his feet to grin down at me. "Hey guys."

Shaking the sand from my hair, face, and just about everywhere else, I levelled a glare at the boy. "Do you mind explaining why I'm going to be brushing sand out of _everywhere_ for the next week?"

Seth ducked his head, looking like he just kicked his own puppy and shoved his hands into his pockets. Leah snorted, getting to her feet and held out her hand to me. "They guys had a bet going to see who could take you down. It's been going on for a couple weeks, but you're usually on your game and never with your back to, well, anyone." She looked over to Seth, somewhat proud. "Honestly didn't think you'd be the one to do it. Good job, bro."

Feeling more victorious again, Seth held his head high with a grin and flexed. "What can I say? I'm a lean, mean, tackling machine. She didn't stand a cha-oof!" His back connected with the sand, the air leaving his lungs in a quick whoosh. "Nice one, Bella," he croaked.

"What can I say?" I smirked.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

"Does everything fit, Bella?" Emily called from the other side of the door of mine and Jake's room.

I quickly looked over my clothes once more and the ones I piled on my hammock to later fold and put away. "Yes, thank you. You didn't have to do this though, my other clothes would have sufficed," I replied.

Jake snorted somewhere off in the distance, probably the kitchen. "You stuck out like a sore thumb in them even more than you already do with your eyes and hair, Bella. At least now you'll look more like the other kids and blend."

Sighing, I finished tying up the laces to my new black chucks. Emily had gone out with Leah to Seattle, and they came back with a buttload of clothes that I found out, in horror, were for me. I had changed a lot over the years; it was impossible to be around such different things, to experience everything else changing and not change yourself, but the one thing that remained the same about me was my displeasure of shopping. Of shopping and dressing up and anything of the sort. I couldn't stand it, not one bit. So, you could imagine the difficulty I had to endure during the Victorian era; grungy just wasn't acceptable back then and I was forced to wear nightmarish dresses and jewellery and whatnot to blend. I hated it.

This wasn't so bad though, I suppose. A pair of black chucks, faded jeans, a black T shirt with deep blue designs on it, and a light zip up hooded sweater. If I had to choose between this and those Victorian dresses, where you just couldn't put it on yourself and had to have maids tie you into it, then I would choose this. Most definitely.

Both Emily and Leah did a double take when I stepped out of the room. Feeling self conscious, I nervously pulled at the cuff of my sweater. "What? What is it? Do I look weird, did I do something wrong?"

Emily was the first to shake herself from the gawking. "No, you just look so young."

Cue my double take and pause.

Leah nodded. "Yeah. You usually look so old, because, well, you _are_ so old. I mean, you don't physically look so old -twenty…twenty two, tops- but you've got that aura. You feel old to us. Now you seriously look younger, like a teenager. It's weird."

"Weird?" I asked.

"Not bad weird," Emily quickly cut in.

Leah nodded furiously. "No, not bad weird. Just…different, weird."

Jake bounded down the hall, his massive form taking up most of it. He could reach up and touch the ceiling with ease; he was a giant. "Give the girl a break; you look fine, Bells. Now follow me, 'cause I've got my own little surprise to show you." He said, taking my hand in his larger one to start pulling me off down the hall to the door of the garage. "I told Sam that he owed you for sending you off to Forks every school day, and he agreed so I managed to take his bike off him. It wasn't in the best of shape, so while you've been at school, Quil and I have been working on it. It's just a thank you from the pack, mostly Sam because it was his stupid idea, for keeping an eye on the leeches."

Jake stood in front of what I assumed the bike was, wiggling his eyebrows before pulling the tarp off of it. My eyes widened as I took it all in. I wasn't usually one who swooned over vehicles, I never really understood that. I could appreciate nice cars and everything, but to go over board and be nearly obsessed, it wasn't my thing. Looking at this, though, I could already feel the obsession starting. It was sleek and shiny, the black paint job reflecting the garage lights. "Is that…?" I walked over, crouching and laughed lightly. And, of course, in a barely noticeable dark blue stencil was a dragon outline. Cheeseheads. "Jake…I couldn't possibly…I've never..."

"Now don't go getting all emotional on us, Bella. We know how weird you get about receiving presents. So, this isn't a present. No thank you required. This is payment for your spying service on the bloodsuckers for us," Jake laughed, patting my shoulder. "Oh, before I forget - safety first, even for the warrior." He grinned, tossing a leather coat at me and a helmet. Both were black, though the helmet's visor was tinted a dark blue, still able to see out of. "Go on, you're going to be late for class."

"What about you, skippers?" I asked, pulling on the coat and fixing my hood so it wasn't caught under it.

Both Jake and Leah looked off away from me, Jake whistling while Leah kicked an empty coke can across the floor. Emily rolled her eyes, walking over with my backpack. "Have a good day, Bella." She said as I swung it on, pulling on my helmet.

"Not too much fun, though. Wouldn't want to lose you to those Forkians," Leah grumbled. "In fact, you should skip the afternoon."

Jake nudged her off to the side with his shoulder. "Ignore her; go make friends." He paused. "No guy friends, though. I'd have to kill them. And no best friends, either. I'd have to kill them."

"She's already got a best friend," Leah deadpanned. The two paused and then looked at each other, narrowing their eyes. "Which is me-"

"It's me!"

"How do you figure that? I'm a girl and girls have girl best friends."

"She lives with me, that's how close we are! I'm the best friend."

"Not even, you've just got more room."

"More room? She sleeps on the ceiling! We don't have more room-"

"See you late, Emily," I murmured, shaking my head at the two and wheeled the bike out of the garage before getting on. She giggled, waving to me as I started it up, feeling its vibrations before revving the engine and sped off down the road.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

This had to be the most peculiar vampire I had ever come across.

Rosalie's golden eyes glanced at me briefly before she continued to type away at the computer. We were in the library, working on our projects with our partners once again today. Rosalie had been even more silent today than any of the previous days. It had me a little on edge, as the girl always had _some_ remark about the "odour" I had acquired from the wolves.

Her eyes returned to mine once more, that guarded indifferent look in them. Casually, her hands drifted away from the keyboard to fold in her lap while she angled herself to look at me full on. Her pale lips pursed as she thought deeply about something for half a moment before they smoothed back out. "New bike?" Her tone was quiet and neutral, like she couldn't care less if I answered or not.

My brows furrowed and I shook my head, wondering why _she_ was wondering about my bike. "For me, yes, but not the bike itself. A few friends have been restoring it for me."

"As payment for keeping an eye on us, yes?" My eyes widened fractionally and she scoffed quietly. "You're friends with the mutts, and people don't just give other people vehicles. They asked for a favour and you get a new bike for no reason? Obviously it's a thank you of some sort." I stayed quiet, watching her curiously before she glanced away to the computer again, tapping a few keys. "It's a nice bike, not a lot of people appreciate the classics enough to work on them and put time into them anymore. It's nice to see that some people do, even if they are dogs."

Over the week, I had gotten used to Rosalie talking about the pack like that. It was difficult at first; every time she did it I'd get that much closer to snapping at her, though I knew if I wanted things to stay simple and not get complicated, that I'd have to keep my mouth shut. And then I realized that she wasn't trying to insult them personally; she just didn't like them enough to refer to them by name, if she even knew their names. Once I realized that she wasn't being rude to them and she just wasn't being polite, things got a little easier.

"Are you almost done your write up?" She asked briskly after a moment or two when I didn't respond. She was back facing the computer, typing away again when I looked up at her. I nodded, hitting the print button and got up to go search for the printer in the room. I was fairly certain it was by the librarian's little check out area.

**xxXXxxXXxx**

"Ha! So you eat?"

I froze, my apple in my hand, pausing in front of my mouth. Confused, I looked up away from my apple into yet another pair of golden eyes. Emmett, the largest Cullen, was standing in front of my tree with a giant grin on his face, showing off his smile dimples. His hair, nearly as dark as mine, was slicked back again today save for the few rebellious curls. His enormous form and muscles were poorly hidden beneath his T shirt whose short sleeves were threatening to rip. Putting my apple down into the napkin on my bag next to my helmet, I looked back up at the giant curiously. "I beg your pardon?"

He grinned wider. "You eat. I'm narrowing down the list of all the possibilities on what you could be. This takes vampire off there."

"Could you not have already scratched that off when you heard my heart beat? When you could smell my blood? Or saw that my eyes were blue and not red, golden, or black? Or the fact that I'm a lot softer that any of you, and much, much warmer? Or that I don't carry the grace of a vampire, nor the hearing of one?" I replied, tilting my head to the side.

Emmett's grin slowly faded. "I…" His shoulders slumped. "I suppose so. How would I be able to know how good your hearing is though?"

My shoulders rose and fell. "Because I would react to things that I shouldn't be able to hear. Like the five of you. Any time someone mentions your name, even if they're across the room, your eyes flicker up. Or you already start replying to what a sibling has said before they join your table and are still walking over."

"You _are_ spying on us, aren't you?" He asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Shaking my head, I put the rest of my lunch back into my backpack and got to my feet. "No, I just learnt a long time ago that you can discover a lot if you just sit back and look."

"I've been doing that! Me and Edward and we still can't figure out what you are!" He complained, reminding me of a little child. I smiled softly, grabbing my helmet.

"How about this," I said, looking around to make sure I had all of my things. "You can go all through your list and guess all you want, and I promise to be honest with my answers. I still don't think you will guess right."

His eyebrows rose. "So you really aren't human?"

"I'm pretty sure that was obvious, Emmett. Have a good afternoon."

**XXxxXXxxXX**

**More chapters re-done!**

**-Paige**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or anything familiar you read here.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. A/B. R/Em. E/J. Es/C. An all out war between vampires, shape shifters, and…what?**

_Dragon's Breath._

"And I know that I have to be faster, but I can't. I'm already doing everything that I possibly can; I can't feel my legs, my lungs are burning, and I'm getting black spots in my vision. But I can't stop, he's already there. I don't know how, but I know he is, and it gives me that extra little boost of adrenaline, or maybe it is fear. Anger, perhaps?" I shook my head, images of my dreams flashing before my eyes. "The halls… they're littered with bodies. It's a horrible, bloody, mangled mess. Like a tornado tore through there. A tornado with teeth or blades, or something, because the amount of blood everywhere is no accident. The lights flicker, like some stereotypical horror film, before they go out and the emergency lights come on; illuminating nearly nothing. But it's enough, I can't see the details of the bodies or the carnage anymore, and I don't feel quite as sick. It does nothing for the smell though."

The glow and warmth of the fire gave me comfort as I continued to recall my dreams out loud. It was surprisingly nice out, not a single cloud in the sky; giving a clear view of all the shining stars and the crescent moon. There was only a light breeze rustling the leaves of the trees, making them sway with one another around the little clearing in the forest I was sitting in. The stones around the fire were large and smooth, and some of them seemed to sparkle sometimes when the glow of the fire caught them the right way, giving me something to stare at.

Clearing my throat, I shook my head once again. Like it would shake the thoughts from my mind. I had no such luck though, and continued on. "I don't know why, but my legs finally slow down to a walk. If you can even call it a walk; I've never moved so slow in my life. But I can't move any faster, it's like it isn't me anymore. I'm just watching it all happen with a front seat view. I can't do anything to stop it. And when I step over another body…my boot lands in a puddle. A thick crimson puddle and I can't even stop myself to wipe it off, I just keep walking, leaving bloody foot prints behind. I start to tremble as I come to the end of this never ceasing hall, but it is most definitely fear this time. So much that my chest clenches and I can't breathe. I get to the door and it is cracked open some, the room inside fully engulfed in darkness. I reach up and I can see my own muddy and bloody fingers graze the metal door, leaving streaks of brown and red as my hand slides down it to the door handle. And then I swing the door open."

Silence filled the little clearing, my gaze enraptured on one of the stones while I wait for a response of any kind.

Moments passed that turned into minutes.

Finally they shifted and I could feel their gaze on me. "That's it? You wake up right then, every time?" Edward asked.

My eyes flickered up to meet his golden ones that were watching me curiously. His bronze hair wasn't quite as tall as usual, not so unruly. The night was humid, damp, and it weighed his hair down, mostly making it fall in his eyes. His pale skin was almost reflecting the moonlight while he leaned against his tree seven or so feet away, not wanting to sit on the dirt and grass and ruin his clothes.

Edward and I had been coming down here, way into the depths of the forest, for the past week. Both of us remained on opposite sides of the treaty line; he on his and me on the pack's. Jake and Leah didn't like me crossing it unless it was to go to school, and even then they usually put up a stink about it. But I needed to talk to someone about the dreams; they were getting worse. Sort of. Ever since I first had the one I recalled to Edward, I could dream of nothing else. And it was every night. I didn't want Jake and Leah to worry though, nor anyone else in the pack. But I didn't know anyone else, except for the Cullens. I don't know why I asked Edward, of all people, to talk to. I had never said two words to him. Maybe because he asked me what was wrong this past monday?

And who knew why he agreed. I had my speculations; to try and gain more information on me and figure out what, exactly, I was. We hadn't talked about that yet, mostly just about the pack and his coven at first. Then onto other things, music he liked and I liked. My bike, in passing - turned out he liked cars a lot, and appreciated 'the classics' like Rosalie. And then finally I told him about the dreams.

"Yes, every single time. The dreams never get any longer or any shorter. If you can even call them dreams," I scowled.

Edward's brows rose. "What do you mean? You think they may be memories?" I had also told him that I couldn't remember almost anything before coming to the reservation. He seemed very interested in that, even after I told him that I didn't think it was amnesia; I could still… feel the memories. I knew they were there. I just couldn't get to them. "That could make sense; in the dream you have blood on you, as well as mud, and your clothes are ripped and ragged, like you were in a fight. Perhaps it is a memory, and you were injured."

"And that injury now prevents me from remembering things?" I asked skeptically. He nodded with a thoughtful look on his face. "What are you thinking?"

He shrugged his shoulders, pushing off from the tree to start pacing in front of the fire on his side. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks, pausing and looked at me. "You said this dream took place in Biloxi?"

"I _think_," I corrected him. "The other one was of Biloxi and that welcoming sign. But yes, I was wearing the same things in both."

Edward nodded and started pacing again, murmuring things under his breath. "Have you thought of traveling to Biloxi and looking around? Perhaps that would jog your memory, or do something. You could look into records and files; find out whose room that was, or even try to find yourself in that city. Maybe you used to live there. Or you worked at the asylum."

Shaking my head, I got to my feet and started kicking dirt onto the fire to put it out. "I cannot leave."

"Why not?" He inquired.

"Because I _will_ _not_ leave. I don't wish to discuss this anymore. Good night, Edward," I replied briskly, turning and dashing into the woods on my side.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

The boys were all laughing in Leah's kitchen when I entered the next morning. It was crowded in there and Sue had escaped up to her room while Harry went out to fish with Billy and their friend Charlie from Forks, while half the pack raided the fridge and cupboards for breakfast. Leah was sitting up on a counter in the corner of the room, rolling her eyes at Jared. Her dark eyes glanced up at me, brightening as she waved me over and scooted down the counter to make room for me to sit. "What's up?" I asked, looking out at the boys again. Jake, Seth, Quil, and a bunch of the others were all out at the beach, soaking up the rarely seen sun's rays.

"Apparently," Leah began, pushing around the salad in her bowl. "Paul was being an ass and howling all night while running along the treaty line." I raised an eyebrow at her and she rolled her eyes again. "As loud as he could, so the leeches that were hunting couldn't catch anything. He was scaring all the wildlife off."

Paul snorted, giving Brady a high five. "Teach those blondies a lesson."

Quirking an eyebrow, I cleared my throat. "What lesson may that be?"

He faltered, clearing his throat. "Uh…to… not hunt while I'm on patrol." He said, grinning again.

"Wow, you sure showed them, didn't you?" Colin snorted, sarcasm lacing his voice.

Paul glared across the table, a low rumble coming from his chest. "Shut up, Colin. Who asked you?"

"Freedom of speech, buddy boy," he crowed back, jolting up from the table as Paul shot to his feet. The two began circling the table; Colin laughing while Paul snarled at him. "Did I hurt your feelings, Polly?"

"Shut up!" Paul snarled. "You a damn leech lover now, or something?"

Colin shook his head. "No, I just don't see why you have to be a jerk when they didn't do anything to us."

"Didn't do anything to us?" Paul roared, his eyes widening as his fury rose. "They did _this_ to us!" He pounded his fists against his chest angrily. "They turned us into _dogs_! They stole any hope of a normal life from us! They break us and cause unbearable agony every time we Shift! They did _everything_ to us!" He launched himself over the table.

But Colin took to the ground and shot under it to the other side. "So we senselessly hate them just because they exist? It's not their fault they do this to us, man."

It was quiet as Paul silently seethed at Colin, glaring daggers at the shorter boy. Brady got to his feet, patting Paul's shoulder. "What do you know, leech lover," he spat, storming out of there with Paul and Jared.

The rest of the boys looked at one another quietly. Colin sighed and sat back down, propping his elbow on the table and holding his chin in his hands. Embry cleared his throat. "Don't worry about them. They'll come around eventually."

"Paul just needs some time to cool off. In the mean time, I don't suggest anyone speaking of the Cullens," I commented and Leah snorted humourlessly.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

Lauren and Jessica, two of the more popular students at Forks High, laughed out loud as I passed their table at lunch. I wasn't sure why, sometimes they'd do that; laugh exceedingly loud whenever I was around, or 'accidentally' drop something around me. I think they wanted my attention, for what though, who knew. Perhaps because I ignored them. They did it around the Cullens as well, and we were the only ones that didn't really pay attention to the barbies. Still, it was distracting and starting to get bothersome. I furrowed my brows and frowned at them on my way by, watching as they giggled and leant closer to whisper to one another and the others at their table.

Someone cleared their throat and I glanced up, seeing that the lunch line had moved, and took a step forward. Movement caught my eye and I nodded at Edward who walked over with his own tray that had an apple and a water bottle on it. Yeah, that was convincing. He smiled a crooked smile at me that I didn't have the energy of returning, and started walking with me as I went to find an empty table to sit at. "Do you mind if I ask why you are following me?" I asked as he continued to do so all the way to the other side of the cafeteria.

"I thought I'd eat lunch with you today, so you wouldn't have to eat alone. Emmett volunteered as well, since we're the only ones that know you," Plus Rosalie, though I couldn't see her jumping at the chance to spend time with me any time soon. "But we all agreed that he would lose track of where he was and start talking about… things, much too loudly. He has a habit of that."

"Talk about… things?" I raised an eyebrow. "Like that fact that neither of us are human?" Edward tensed, glancing around the room, and I couldn't help the small smile that pulled at me lips. He was a very paranoid boy. "I can assure you, Edward, that none of the humans are listening. I could yell it at the top of my lungs, and still, it would have no effect. People are more inclined top believe things are impossible rather than possible. They wouldn't take you or me seriously. Not without a demonstration, and even then, they'd somehow talk themselves out of believing it was real."

"You have experience with that?" He asked as we sat down. One of my shoulders rose and fell in answer and he sighed. No matter how hard he or Emmett tried, they never seemed to get anything from me. Well, not enough to please them. Edward glanced over his shoulder at his family that were watching and the corner of his mouth curved up in a smirk. "Alice is jealous right now. She figured that it would be her to break through your defences and become your friend, but it appears that I have the better chance so far."

"Mind reading must come in handy a lot," I commented, looking at the spiky haired pixie. The scowl smoothed out into a beaming smile when she locked eyes with me and I felt something stir in my chest. Frowning, I glanced down at my torso, confused, and then to my food. What was that? Was it something I ate? Having lost my appetite at the chance of… food poisoning-or whatever that was, I pushed my tray away from myself.

Edward was in the process of nodding with a pensive look on his face. "Sometimes, yes, it does. Most of the time, it's just annoying. I can't turn it off, which means I'm bombarded with thoughts every minute of the day. Most of which I never wanted to hear in the first place. Sometimes it's better not to know certain things, but I don't have that luxury. Well, except around you," He replied, the corner of his mouth quirking up again. He ran a pale hand through his bronze locks, bringing them out of his face. "That's one of the main reasons I enjoy your company so much, you know. It's the only time I ever have peace and quiet along with companionship. I like having normal conversations and not knowing what the other person is going to say before they say it. It's refreshing to feel…somewhat normal."

"Glad I could help," I inclined my head.

"Now, if you don't mind my asking, why are there such dark circles under your eyes? Have you not been sleeping?" He asked, looking slightly concerned. I looked away, leaning back in my chair and crossing one leg over the other, clasping my hands in my lap. He frowned, sighing deeply and lowered his voice, probably so his family wouldn't hear. "You need to do something about your dreams, Bella." Ah, so he hadn't told his family about our midnight rendezvouses. When I still didn't respond, he sat back in his own chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "Have it your way then. I will go to Biloxi, if only to try and find out more about you. We will know what you are eventually, whether you tell us or not."

"I bid you good luck, Edward," I replied.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

_There's a metallic, rusty taste in my mouth that makes my face twist up in disgust. My eyes flutter open with great difficulty, and I'm met with the ceiling. It's old and stained, a white tile like thing going on, but with age is starting to look more yellow. At least, I think so. It's hard to tell; the only light in the room is from the moon, coming in through the large hole in the wall. I struggle to lift myself into a sitting position, panting and heaving while my vision blurs for a few moments. Gingerly touching the back of my head, I bring my hand back into the moonlight spilling in through that hole, seeing the stark contrast between my pale skin and the crimson and dirt on my hands._

_Feeling worry twinge through me, I glanced down at myself, taking in my ripped clothes covered in mud, blood, grass stains, and debris. They're barely holding together and hanging from my limbs. That's when all the pain hits me and I throw my head back, howling in pain and squeezing my eyes shut. I try to will away the agony. There was nowhere on my body that didn't hurt, even my toe nails felt like they were throbbing. The blood is all mine, I soon find out, spotting and feeling all the scrapes and cuts, all the wounds and bruises, gashes and bite marks. Ribs are definitely broken and it hurts, but I manage to get to my feet, stumbling into the stone wall, gasping for breath._

_When I'm able to, I look around at the wreckage of this room. There isn't much; what appears to have once been some metal bed frame, though now it is twisted and gnarled, flipped over and shoved in front of the door. There are a few chairs and a desk, all destroyed and tossed around the room. Bricks and debris are everywhere from the hole in the wall, and there's… ash? Why is there ash everywhere? The walls are covered in blood and dirt, all cracked and caved in randomly, like an explosion went off in the room._

_Voices sound outside the door and a little ways away. Panicked, I look around myself once more and decide to leave this place. I can try to piece together whatever horrors occurred here some other time, right now I have to get away._

_A sword, jammed into one of the walls, catches my eye and my fingers twitch. Quickly grabbing it, I limp towards the hole in the wall and spare one last glance around the room before vanishing into the dark._

**XXxxXXxxXX**

"You look like you could use a break, Atlas." A light, soprano voice said.

With a great sigh, I lifted my head from my books that were resting on the shelf in my locker, looking into a pair of intense, golden eyes. I didn't feel like conversing or putting up with anyone at all today, but I did appreciate the greek mythology reference, and offered a feeble smile. "Good morning to you as well, Alice."

She handed me a hot styrofoam cup of coffee from the cafeteria that sold breakfast food before school, and I murmured my thanks before taking a sip from it. "If I asked what was troubling you, would you even tell me?"

I shook my head. "No, but I appreciate the concern."

Alice, too, sighed and leaned against the locker next to mine. "Well maybe you can answer me this; why did Edward take Jasper and run off on an impromptu trip last night? And why are they heading to a place called Biloxi?" I groaned and stuffed my face into my palm. "What is he doing? Is that where you are from or something?"

"No, I don't know. I just… he's shoving his nose places they don't belong. Not that I actually think that place has anything to do with me. It was just a damn dream," I huffed. "What a busybody."

Alice giggled behind a delicate pale hand. "Yes, that's my brother. His gift compels him to be in other peoples' business. I don't envy him."

"You wouldn't like a supernatural gift like his?" I asked, curious. Most people would jump at the chance to have that kind of power.

She shook her head. "I already have my own, I don't need anymore. Although ever since moving here, it doesn't feel like I have my own. The pack throws my visions off. _You_ throw my visions off, just like you throw off Edward and Jasper's gifts. It's mind boggling," she murmured under her breath.

"What on earth are you talking about?" I asked, confused.

"Oh," She giggled again. "That's what I can do. I get visions of the future, based on present decisions. It's all subjective though, only the past is written in stone." She sighed. "But the pack make my visions all fuzzy and almost incomprehensible, and you… well, I can't get a single one of you. And right now Edward is making so many different decisions to throw me off because he thinks this is some sort of game. To see who can figure you out first or something. It's all very frustrating."

"Welcome to my life," I replied, chuckling. Alice began following me as I walked down the hall to my next class.

Right as we turned a corner, there was Emmett's massive, hulking form walking past us. He perked up, grinning down at Alice and slapped her shoulder. "Hello, Tink. Hello, Bella," he boomed out. He paused, biting his lip and took a step back, looking us over. "Wow, the two of you really are what the cat dragged in. Honestly, you look run down," he guffawed and shook his head. "Wait! Bags under your eyes! That means you get tired, which means you sleep." He gasped, looking at me and pulled a note pad from his back pocket and a little pencil that was tucked on top of his ear. "Hmm. Do you feed off humans in any way?" He asked, looking up at me seriously.

I rolled my eyes. "No."

Emmett cursed quietly, scratching things off on his list. "Dammit. Not a Faerie and not a troll." My brows furrowed at the latter, wondering if I should be offended or not.

Alice laughed and we continued back down the hall. "Is he getting closer?" She asked, half amused and half curious.

Snorting, I looked back at the giant who was studying his list. "No, but I have to say, it's starting to get interesting; all the things he's coming up with."

Alice gave me a look, a smile tugging at her lips. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're starting to like us, Bella."

"Have a good morning, Alice." I smiled, stepping into my classroom.

"It's starting to look up already," she mumbled, waving and ducking around another corner.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

**Chapter five, good to go.**

**-Paige**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or anything familiar you read here.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Summary: AU. A/B. R/Em. E/J. Es/C. An all out war between vampires, shape shifters, and…what?**

_Dragon's Breath._

_A mixture of sweat and blood drips from my face, my hair clinging to my skin. My chest rises and falls quickly in time with my panting as I tighten my hold on the blade in my hand, so tight my knuckles turn even whiter and my hand starts to feel numb. Adrenaline is still coursing through my body but I can feel fatigue dancing at the edges, ready to swoop in and take over at any moment now. I blink a few times, trying to clear my vision, shaking my head slightly as I continue down the hall. The emergency lights flicker from normal to red every few seconds, the burnt out ceiling lamp at the end of the hall swinging back and forth slowly. Only the sounds of my breathing, ragged and uneven, my footsteps on the tiled floor, and the squeaking of that one ceiling lamp can be heard._

_My free hand slowly raises out in front of me as I approach the door, fingers trembling when I shakily reach out. The cool metal is a small shock to my overheated skin. My fingers leave brown and red, muddy and bloody, streaks as my hand slides down the door and to the door handle, gripping it firmly. Ever so slowly the handle turns and the door cracks open half an inch. My muscles tense, predicting a fight that is sure to partake on the other side of this door, a tingle of anticipation begins to run through me. Slowly, the door opens wider-_

_An incredibly pale hand shoots out in the small space and before I can gasp, it's clutching the front of my coat in a vice like grip. The force of it all knocks the air out of me and I can feel something crack, my eyes closing as I wince and suck in more air. I have half a second to open my eyes once more and lift my blade before I'm yanked into the dark room…_

"N'ungh!" I shot up in the hammock, one hand clutching at my chest while the other is raised in a fist. My chest heaved while my eyes took in every detail of the room, scanning and looking, checking, making sure everything was in its place and as it was before I fell asleep.

Jacob huffed, turning his head in the opposite direction as he continued to snore loudly across the room. It calmed me down enough to lower my hand and take a deep breath, settling my nerves. Stupid dream. "This is getting ridiculous," I muttered, glaring at the wall beside me. I needed to talk to someone about this now, I couldn't take it anymore. I had to tell Jake or Leah, someone other than Edward. Although, if his little trip proved more than pointless, perhaps I could deal with this without having to worry those two over it.

With that in mind, I hopped down from the hammock, landing soundlessly on the bedroom floor. I glanced down at my grey sweatpants and socks, the white tank top, and quickly scooped up a pair of sneakers and a black sweater, along with my sword, before opening the window and climbing out into the back yard. After lacing up the shoes and pulling on the sweater, I jogged off into the trees of the woods, trying to make as little noise as possible, the strap across my chest and sword hanging on my back.

I couldn't quite remember who was on patrol tonight, but I didn't want to have to make up excuses as to why I was out in the woods so late or where I was going.

There was something about the forest that always drew me in, made me feel safe. Perhaps because it was so easy to get lost in there, that if ever being chased it would be quite simple to lose the chaser? Or maybe it was just the enormous, tall trees standing strong that gave me a sense of strength. It was… nice, whatever the cause was, and I enjoyed spending time in the forest.

After a while, I came upon the path that usually took me to the small clearing that Edward and I met at frequently. I'd show up there, and usually he'd come along a little later. I don't know how he always knew I was there, if he could hear me or not, and for a while I thought it was because of his gift. He couldn't hear my thoughts, per say, but maybe he could still…feel them. Sense them, but not quite hear them. However, when I asked, he said he couldn't, but when I asked how he knew I was always there he wouldn't reply; saying the day I answered one of his questions, he'd answer mine. So I let it go, and tonight, hoped he was back from Biloxi and would know I was there waiting for him.

Before I could get to the little clearing, however, a noise a few yards to my left had me freezing. It wasn't loud and booming, scaring my heart up into my chest or anything, on the contrary actually; a small twig snapping. The tiniest little noise, and not something that would seem uncommon out in the woods. This was the forest, full of twigs and branches and whatnot, not all of which were attached to trees. The only thing that had me pausing was the absence of footsteps afterwards. Animals would have continued on; almost ignorant of the small noise they made as they innocently snapped the twig. No, this was unnaturally quiet after, as if someone else were frozen, trying to stay as still and quiet as possible after creating such noise.

Something one might do if they were, for example, hunting something or someone else.

And that was what had me freezing.

My mind whirled, going over everything around me, every noise, every sight, every shift in wind, everything from when I left through the window until I got here.

No, no one had followed me. I would have known.

Which meant that someone else was chasing something else.

The rustling of a bush had my head whipping around to locate the source of the noise, and I watched with relief as a buck stepped out of the bushes, munching on grass and paying no mind to me. Animals. Someone was hunting animals; hunters or perhaps even the Cullens. My brows furrowed, retracing my path once more. Had I accidentally crossed the boarder onto their land?

Before I could think much more of it, the buck's head snapped up, its eyes wide and frightened as it stared at me. I slowly raised my hands, trying to convey I wasn't a threat, but its ears twitched still and it looked behind me before taking off like a bullet in the opposite direction. My hands lowered and I bit my lip, turning to face where I assumed the hunter was. "I'm s-"

Making a noise in the first place was my mistake, I soon realized.

Honestly, I should have known not to interrupt a vampire while they hunted, but it was terribly late and I was tired.

A pale blur shot out from behind the trees, and once again the air was knocked from my lungs as they collided with my front. My shoulders and back were slammed up against a tree as the petite body pinned me, my hands beside my head. My fingers twitched, grazing the leather handle of my blade out of reflex. Instead of grabbing it though, I looked down at my attacker, my eyebrows raising. Out of all the Cullens, this was the least expected one. Actually, third least expected; I really couldn't picture Carlisle or his mate, Esme, whom I had seen at the meeting, pinning me to a tree. The fact that it was Alice, however, was nearly as surprising. She just didn't seem the type.

Alas, there she was, her vibrant, blood red lips pulled back over her teeth in a snarl, revealing rather sharp looking fangs. Obviously she had already hunted a little bit, seeing as there was a glowing golden ring around her otherwise deep, endless onyx eyes that were narrowed up at me. Long dark lashes surrounded them, batting against her pale skin as she blinked once, her hair more messy and not as styled, hanging down in her face. Her small hands had mine in a vice like grip, pinned to the tree, her body leaning against mine, leaving no room to wiggle free or even attempt to. A low growl, deep in her chest, rumbled in the air and was the only thing keeping the silence at bay.

Clearing my throat, I looked around once and then back down into her predator eyes. "I must apologize; it wasn't my intention to interrupt you during your…hunt. I hadn't realized I wondered off across the boarder."

My words had seemingly no effect on Alice as she continued to sneer up at me, her eyes hard and void of anything but hunger.

"If you would be so kind as to release me," I urged, pointedly looking up to my hands.

She remained unmoving, solid as a statue.

Huffing, I let my head roll to the side. "You're going to make this difficult, aren't you? I was really hoping it wouldn't lead to this, but if you don't release me, I _will_ have to use force," I cautioned, raising an eyebrow and waiting for a response. "Do you understand? You may get hurt, and this is the only warning I shall give you." Still nothing. "Alright, I can't say I didn't give you a fair chance. I'm going to free myself. Be prepared. Because it _will_ hurt."

Alice's dark eyes continued staring at me, her grip never lessening, never wavering even slightly.

"Let me go dammit, I don't want to hurt you!" I snapped, glaring back down at her. I really, really didn't want to hurt her; she was kind, friendly, bubbly, little Alice. This wasn't really her fault, she was hunting, and naturally released her inner beast and let instinct take over. I just had unfortunate timing. I couldn't blame her for that, and therefore, couldn't hurt her for that. And even if, logically and reasonably, I was in the right and had the right to do so… I really don't think I could. I just couldn't bring myself to, the thought of hurting Alice, or Alice being hurt by any means, made my gut clench and a fire spark in me.

Just thinking about it; I felt something stir and begin to well up in me.

No, I most definitely could not let Alice get hurt.

"How very odd," I mused, a thoughtful look on my face as I contemplated it.

The winds shifted, instead of blowing into us it began to blow against my back, catching my hair and making the black locks dance out in front of me. The glowing golden ring in Alice's eyes slowly faded to black as the growling in her chest got louder, but changed. My brows furrowed as she began to vibrate, a…purr coming from her now? My goodness, was she _purring_ now? Actually purring, like a cat? Her eyes, even darker looking now, softened with a warmth I'd never seen in anyone else's eyes before and it struck something in me again. I felt powerless under her gaze, locked perfectly still, unable to move a single muscle, unable to even blink. Everything else seemed to fade into the background as I stared, wide eyed, and with wonder at the tiny vampire in front of me. There was something in that gaze, in her eyes, that had my breath catching in my throat and my heart seizing, on a stand still.

Her hands, like ice, slid from my wrists and down to my neck, making me shiver. Her sneer, having faded into a small smile, grew further until it she was full out beaming up at me, her chilly hands cupping my face. So soft, like she was hardly touching me at all, enough to just feel it but nothing more. I shivered again. There was something so familiar about the action, and once more I could feel fuzzy memories trying to resurface from the murky depths of my mind. That is, until she nuzzled her face into my neck, just under my chin, and then all thought flew from my head. Something stirred in me again, fluttered, but this time it was foreign to me, something I never felt before. At least, I don't think I have.

And it frightened me.

Which frightened me even more. I'm not someone who scares easily. There are not many things on the planet that could frighten me, and I took comfort in that. It was safe. I _felt_ safe. Secure, knowing nothing would ever shake me the way it could shake other people. I could retain my control at all times. Emotion; it was of little consequence to me. Something to keep in check and put up with as I lived on, waiting for…something.

But this… I could feel my control slipping, slowly leaving me. It was too difficult to try and stop, like trying to grasp smoke or water, and I began to panic. Feeling myself unwind, that was new. And out in the open, in the forest, where anyone could be anywhere. Anything could pop out while I was exposed like this, my walls slowly crumbling.

My heart began beating harder, faster, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps as my eyes flickered around. My Fight or Flight instincts began to kick in, something that had never happened to me; I'd never experienced such scared urgency. But I still felt the need to keep Alice safe, I couldn't leave her. I had the urge to wrap her up in my arms and run for the hills, find somewhere safe for us while I regathered myself.

"Alice." My voice was hoarse and deeper than normal, my throat dry and I swallowed quickly. Panic still gripped my heart and my fingers dug into the bark of the tree as I felt Alice smile against my neck.

She hummed, sighing softly. "Bella…" She murmured against my skin. My grip on the tree tightened. "Bella," She repeated, her voice not quite as soft, her tone more…flat. Like she was almost unsure as to what she was saying. "Bella?" Her face lifted from my neck. "Bella!" Alice gasped, jumping back a few yards away from me. Her pale hands covered her mouth as she stared, wide eyed and shocked at me. They slowly began to brighten, lighting up to a burning amber, and then the glowing golden. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay? I didn't… I didn't hurt you, did I?" She asked, her voice back to the light, chime quality it always held.

"I have to go." I quickly said, turning around and sprinting off back in the direction of Jake's house.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

Billy tilted his head to the side, looking at me with confusion on his face as I entered the kitchen. "Uh, you're going to be late for school if you don't hurry up and get ready," he informed me.

"I'm aware," I replied, walking over to the fridge and grabbing the juice. "I do not plan on going today."

Neither of us had time to speak what was on our minds before Jake came bounding down the hall. He was buttoning up his jeans with one hand, while his other arm was through one of the sleeves of his shirt and in the process of pulling his head through, his backpack slung over the other, still bare, shoulder. "Dad, where's my lunch? Dad?" He hollered, blindly running to the kitchen counter. Finally his head popped out of the shirt, his hair all sticking up, and he searched with wide eyes for his lunch. "I'm going to be late! Where's my lunch?"

"Where are your shoes?" I asked, looking at the socks on his feet.

The giant looked down at his feet, gasping. "My shoes!"

"Take a breath, Jacob. Here's your lunch and your shoes are by the door." Billy said, holding up a brown paper bag. He continued under his breath, "Just like every other day."

I couldn't help the small smile that pulled at my lips. Every single morning Jake ran through the house like this, as if it were the first day of grade one for him. Actually, come to think of it, he _did_ do this on his first day of grade one. I barely managed to calm him down while I walked him to school.

Jacob pulled his other arm through his sleeve, buckling his belt and mashed down his hair while he took a deep breath. "Right, sorry," he muttered sheepishly, taking the brown paper bag. His big, dark eyes caught mine, and like his dad, his head tilted to the side. "Why aren't you ready for school?"

"I'm not going," I answered, shoving my hands into the pockets of my sweats.

His eyes widened. "You're skipping? I wanna skip too!" He said, looking to Billy who shook his head. "But she get's to."

"That's different." Billy said, his forehead creasing.

"How's that different?" Jake whined.

Billy looked over at me and I shrugged, pouring myself a glass of juice. "I don't know, it just is. Now off to school."

Billy wheeled over to the front door, shooing Jake out of the house. "That's not fair - Bella, come find me at lunch!" He hollered before being shoved out the door by Billy.

The house became silent as I stood on the porch next to Billy, watching the giant run down the street. Billy sighed, running a hand through his long, dark hair. "Teenagers," He scoffed, looking up to me.

Nodding, I watched as Embry ran out of his own house and onto the street. He waved at us while he waited for Jake to catch up. I smiled, waving back, before turning to the house.

Billy set off to go about his day while I flopped down on the couch in front of the TV. There wasn't anything particular I wanted to watch, TV shows these days were all the same; one reality show after another, one rerun after another, etc. But I needed something to distract me and keep my thoughts from wandering to dangerous areas, such as the previous night and the little…encounter with Alice. When I had gotten back into the house last night, I sat in the middle of the room, staring out the window all night until the sun came up. Jake didn't notice, barely conscious as he trudged off to take a shower while I pulled myself together enough to head to the kitchen, and now here I was, sitting on the couch.

Hiding.

There was no point in trying to trick or fool myself; I knew what I was doing and that was hiding. From what, however, was rather tricky to answer. Alice, perhaps. She would most likely bring up her actions and my reactions from last night, and along with that would come questions I didn't have answers for and didn't want to find answers for. That would require replaying the previous night and sorting through everything that had happened. Go through it. Re-live it. Very nearly lose control again, and I couldn't let that happen. I wouldn't.

But I wasn't a fan of this hiding either. Hiding meant that you were scared and I didn't want to admit that I was. Afraid of one, small vampire. Or afraid of the emotions that vampire evoked. Either way, it was pathetic. I was a Warrior. I had been in numerous battles, to the death even. And never once did I even blink. Never cringed or hesitated, never a second thought or nervousness. I was sure. I had certainty.

And now? Now I was scared of feelings.

Groaning, I ran my hands through my hair, holding my face in my hands as I stared at the floor, bracing my elbows on me knees. The Great Fire Warrior afraid of some feelings.

I spent the rest of the morning sitting in the quiet living room, staring at the black TV screen. Billy came and went a few times, doing this and that around the house before he headed out down to Harry's.

Finally, when I could no longer stand just sitting there and doing nothing, I went down the hall to Jake's room and opened the dresser, looking for some of my clothes. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a black tank top, pulling the strap of my blade over my chest and let it hang on my back again as I locked the house behind me. I knew no one would risk trying to break in and rob a shape shifter, but it was a habit I picked up way back in the day.

It was a grey day, no surprise there, and the wind was blowing fallen leaves and dust across the road as I walked down it. I still had an hour or so before Jake expected me at the school to have lunch with him, but I knew I wouldn't be making it. I couldn't face him like this. He would know something was up and would want to talk about it, and that was the last thing I wanted to do. So instead of turning back at the end of the road, I kept going, walking into the trees again. This time, however, I walked through the trees heading for the cliffs. My eyes took in everything on the way; every fallen tree, small boulder, little creek, everything. Even the animals that would scamper by or away from me when they heard me coming.

The cliffs were a really beautiful sight to see; the dark water crashing up agains the rocky walls in waves. If you looked far enough out, you could see a break in the giant grey cloud that constantly covered Forks. I walked to the very edge of the cliff, my toes hanging over, my arms coming up beside me as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Images played behind my closed eyelids as I pictured the choppy waters below. Such chaos on the surface, one would never expect or could ever imagine just how calm it was below. The wind picked up, playing with my hair again, making the trees behind me dance.

A picture of Alice's smile popped up in my head, _her red lips tugging up at the corners, pulling back to reveal pearly whites._

I shook the thoughts from my head, frowning. Trees, picture the trees.

_"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're starting to like us, Bella."_

I ducked my head, glaring down at the ground beside my feet.

_Alice stood, leaning against the wall of the school. Her short, ink black hair was up in styled chaos still, her skin just as pale as any other vampire. Her holden eyes were bright and lit aflame with curiosity, still holding that intensity as she looked at me. I briefly wondered if she looked at everyone else like that. She offered me a friendly smile. "Sorry to interrupt, I couldn't help myself." She had just walked in on my conversation with Leah over the phone._

I shook my head harder, my face contorting into a snarl as I forced the images from my head, smothering the tingling in my chest. I _would_ have control, one way or another, with force or without. This was _my_ body and it obeyed _my_ will.

Taking one last deep breath, I opened my eyes again. Movement caught my eye and I glanced to the right, my anger leaving me just as quickly as it came, replaced by surprise and curiosity. I raised my right hand up in front of me again, examining the blue flames that engulfed it. They burned hot, giving off a heat that would have anyone else crying out. Instead, I turned my hand over this way and that, staring at the dancing blue flames. It had been years, forty some odd years, since the last time I had conjured my Flame. And that was by will, I had _never_ accidentally done it or was unaware I did.

Of course, this was also the first time I had gotten mad, really.

"What's happening to me?" I murmured into the wind, clenching my fist as the flames died out. I glanced back down at the water below, leaning forward more.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

"What _happened_ to you?" Leah asked, bewildered as she stared at me.

She was laying back on a large beach blanket with a basket in the sand next to her, one of the many girls here on the reservation beside her while music played behind them. She sat up, tucking a lock of her dark hair behind her ear as the two looked at me like I had lost my mind.

Which would be a logical estimation.

I was soaking wet, water seeping from my tank top, dripping from my face and hair, seeping out of my jeans. I stood up to my knees in the water in front of the two, at the far end of the beach where no one ever swam because it was too close to the cliffs. People usually just came over here to sit and relax next to the woods, like Leah and this girl were doing. So I could understand their reaction to seeing me swim in from around the cliff, walking up through the water to the beach in front of them.

"I had to cool off," I replied simply.

Leah's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "And you couldn't just have a little swim in a swimsuit here on the beach like a normal person? Wait, where were you swimming from anyway?"

My brows furrowed. "Around this cliff-" I began to point until Leah cut me off.

"You jumped off _this_ cliff!" She yelled, her eyes wide.

"Well, yes, I did. Sam and the others do-"

"They jump from the small cliffs over there, Bella. Dammit, these ones are dangerous! It's shallow and there's jagged rocks below the water - you could have killed yourself!" She snarled.

My frown deepened. "I'm…sorry?" I said, though it came out more like a question. I was well aware of the dangers and knew what I was doing. "I'll ask next time." I said, trying to placate the girl who looked like she was ready to explode.

She nodded, settling back next to the other girl again. "Alright. So, you mind telling me why you aren't at school right now?"

"I could ask you the same question," I shot back, walking over and sitting in the sand next to her. Leah's friend didn't seem pleased, huffing at Leah to get her attention.

Leah's dark eyes remained on me though, having seemingly forgotten her other company. "I like to skip. School bores me. What's your excuse?"

My eyes travelled to the sand below me. "I… wasn't feeling well enough to go to school earlier." That was more or less the truth. I was in no condition to go.

"Since when do you get sick?" She asked, turning on her side and holding her head in her hand. Her friend grumbled something under her breath, grabbing her stuff and stomped off.

"It's a long story, one I do not wish to tell right now," I replied, giving her a look.

Leah nodded. "All right, I'll let it go. For now." She scooted back, patting the spot she was just laying in. "Come dry off and I'll tell you about my _fantastic_ date you just ruined," she laughed. I felt a smile tug a my lips, laying back next to her.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

**Enjoy!**

**-Paige**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or anything familiar. And in the off chance that I use something that turns out to be someone else's, I hereby disclaim that too. I hear that happens a lot. Unintentional plagiarism or something like that.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: xPaige. Turnerx**

**Summary: AU. A/B. R/Em. E/J. Es/C. What's that? An all out war between vampires, shape shifters, and…what? Where will the girls find time to fall in love? Pssh, you know they will.**

**-Bella-**

_"But this is the best part of the game, and you've just made it so much more interesting. A valiant Warrior to protect her from the big, bad, vampire. I've been looking for a challenge lately."_

_"You won't lay a finger on her."_

_"Oh, but I will. You see, I always win. Hunting; that's __**my**__ thing, __**my**__ world, you've just stepped into. I'm going to drain her of every last drop of that delicious blood, and I'm going to make you watch. Then I'm going to crush that pretty little head of yours, because I __**always**__ win."_

"I won't let you!" I snarled, sitting up straight with a raised fist, blue flames burning fiercely, slowly licking their way up my arm.

Jacob shot up as well, ripping his blankets back and was on his feet in seconds. His fists were clenched, dark eyes narrowed and scanning every inch of the room, breathing deeply. Slowly his hulking form turned to me and he gasped, raising a hand to block the light of the flames from his eyes, falling back on his butt.

The flames died out and I jumped down from the hammock, reaching out for his arm to help him to his feet. He was still staring at me with wide eyes as I guided him back to his bed, looking at me like he had never seen me before in his life. "B-Bella…?" He asked, slowly shaking his head as he sat down on the edge of his bed. "You…and… your hand…fire…what?"

I sighed deeply, sitting down next to him and ran a hand through my hair. I grimaced at the sweat and wiped my palms on my pants, looking off out the window. This was… not something I ever wanted Jacob to see, and certainly not like this. If I had ever decided to tell him more about myself, what little I could, then I would have done it gently. Eased him into it. Prepared him. It's not exactly… comforting to see your friend on fire with no explanation, even if it was just my arm. I groaned, covering my tired eyes with my hand. "I am sorry for waking you, Jake."

"Sorry for… waking me… Bella, what the hell?" He boomed out. "You were just on _fire_; I don't care if you woke me up. You were on fire and now you're not. There's not a burn, not a wound, not a mark. I mean… jeeze, I know everyone around here calls you the Fire Warrior, but I thought… I _didn't_ think that… that you… I just don't understand."

His dark eyes studied me, burning into me as I continued to look away. Jacob was very childlike. He still had so many of his little boyish qualities, and I still always saw him as that little brother, Little Jakey who always came to me to tie his shoes for him. But I also knew he had grown into a patient young man who would wait, for as long as I needed, to get answers to his questions. He wouldn't push or pry if I told him not to, but I knew he expected _something_ from me now.

My jaw clenched and I held in another groan, finally looking up into his face. "Jake," I started gently, placing my hand on his massive shoulder. "I am sorry, but I don't have very many answers for you. I wish I did, and you know I would share them with you, but I just don't. I know you and the boys," I paused. "And Leah think that I work up this big wall of mystery for you, but I don't do it on purpose. I'm a mystery to myself. I can only remember the passed ninety years of my life with clarity. Everything before that is… is snippets and dreams, scattered here and there. Sometimes I don't even think they're snippets of _my_ life."

He listened to my words silently, nodding every now and then. We sat there on the bed for hours as I spoke, watching as everything slowly got lighter as the sun came up. I told him those passed ninety years of my life, told him everything I knew and could. The urgent need o be _here_ unable to leave for reasons I didn't know. I told him about my dreams, talking to Edward, about these new… feelings that were getting control over me.

Jake reached over, turning off his alarm clock just before it could go off. He looked back over at me and I waited for his reaction, his words that he had been holding in the entire time. He smiled softly, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and squeezed me to him. "You shouldn't be so afraid of emotions. Yeah, they can suck big time, but they're also pretty awesome other times. Besides," He grinned. "Feelings are the annoying reminders that you're alive, and it's good to see you finally waking up."

My head tilted to the side as I considered his words. "I… do not understand, Jake."

He shrugged with a grin. "If you can't feel anything then you're either dead, sleeping, or a robot. It was sad sometimes, watching Robotic Bella around here. You don't laugh, and I've rarely ever seen your smiles reach your eyes. You're a shell, Bells."

"A shell?" I asked, my brows furrowing.

He blushed. "Okay, well, not that bad. But, I mean, you're getting better now, so, yeah…" He cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair. "So, the little one, eh? Alice was her name?"

_"Alice," My voice was hoarse and deeper than normal, my throat dry and I swallowed quickly. Panic still gripped my heart and my fingers dug into the bark of the tree as I felt Alice smile against my neck._

Jake's eyes widened and he leaned away from me, my hands clenching the blankets of his bed at the memory. "Wow, I can actually _feel_ the heat rolling off of you. You're like a walking furnace, Bells." He laughed, shaking his head. "I guess that proves it is _her_ causing this, er, change in you. Man, a leech? Really?"

My guilt flared at the frustrated look in his eyes. It must have been difficult for him to talk to me about this, to try and put aside his hate for vampires enough to help me understand what I was going through. "I am sorry, Jake."

His eyes flickered back up to me, widening slightly. "Oh! No! No, this isn't your fault, Bells. You can't help who you love, right. I just… poor Leah."

My back straightened. "Has something happened to Leah?"

"No," He shook his head, a sad smile playing at his lips. "It's nothing, don't worry about it. Okay, so you like the lee…uh… you like Alice."

A tingly feeling welled up in my chest and I felt heat run to my face. "I do _not_. It's just… her actions. They must have triggered some kind of chemical release in my body, and it opened a channel to where emotions are stored. I just need to find that channel and close it again." I said, my voice louder and more squeaky that I wanted it.

The grin on his face made my fingers twitch and I narrowed my eyes. "That right there is 'embarrassment', Bells. This is going to be fun! Like, well, teaching a robot to be human!" He cheered.

My jaw snapped shut, clenching again, and I scowled over at the wall.

This was _not_ fun.

**XXxxXXxxXXxxXX**

"Uh, sure, I guess. Whose calling?" Leah asked into the phone.

The tall girl was sprawled out over the love seat with a bowl of popcorn on her lap, a blanket tangled in her legs, and the phone from the little table beside the couch in her hand. Her long, dark hair was in braids, a pair of baggy sweats and a tank to clothing her, for our sleepover. But if Jake asked, it was just 'hanging out all night' because he didn't want the guys knowing he actually enjoyed sleepovers with us. It was a tradition we had since the two were just five years old - Leah had taken to coming over on Saturday nights so we could stay up late (only ten o'clock back then) watching movies. Years later, we hadn't stopped.

Jacob was on the ground, sitting on a few layers of blankets and pillows with his own bowl of popcorn on the table in front of him. His hair was sticking up, much like earlier that morning during our conversation, in a pair of flannel pyjama pants, skipping the shirt. We had found out, after both of the First Change, that the three of us in a room brought the temperature _way_ up. But both Leah and I put up with it, because though we only saw Jake as a brother, he was still a guy not related by blood, and we weren't taking our shirts off.

He was huffing to himself, remote in hand, staring at the paused movie on the TV screen. He really hated it when people interrupted shows or movies or games for him. He 'had to start over and get back into it, missing a bunch of crap trying to do so' afterwards.

But the phone had rang and wouldn't stop, so Leah finally gave up and answered it.

"What?" She growled, glaring down at the phone. "Why do you need to talk to her?" She snapped. "It _is_ my business, Bella is my - friend. You got something to say to her, then you can say it to me." Her shoulders shook as she waited for a response, both Jake and I sitting up straight to look at her. Someone wanted to talk to me? That was odd; no one ever called me. Who were they to provoke such a reaction from my friend like this? "Oh, great, not you. Put the other leech back on." Jake and I looked at each other with wide eyes. "Yeah, well right back at you - ya big, blonde, sna-"

Jacob grabbed the phone from her, covering the mouth piece. "Whoa, there. Don't say something you can't take back. Why don't you go fill up our cups again, take a breather, eh?" He said as lightly as he could, smiling and trying to placate the girl. She grumbled, launching herself off the couch and stormed into the kitchen. "Hello? No, this is Jacob. I'm Bella's friend. Hey, listen lady, _I _ didn't call you that - no need to take that tone with me. No - I - and you wonder why we hate leeches? It's because you're all-"

"I'm surrounded by children." I muttered, grabbing the phone from him. "Why don't _you_ go take a breather, too, Jake." He pouted but got up anyways, dragging his feet to the kitchen as well. "Hello?"

_"Is this Bella yet?"_ An annoyed voice sighed.

A voice that I recognized. "Good evening, Rosalie. How are you today?" I asked automatically.

_"Finally, someone who has pleasant phone etiquette. I'm going to put Carlisle back on, then, but if another one of those dogs starts harassing him again-"_

_"Thank you, Rosalie, I'll take it from here. Hello, Bella?"_ A much calmer, friendlier voice came on the line. This was the second time I had heard it, and again he was nothing but polite. I couldn't understand how Sam and the others didn't like this man, or at the very least, couldn't understand why they automatically hated him.

"Hello, Doctor Cullen." I replied, setting up my much smaller bowl of popcorn. If Carlisle was calling me, I doubt it was just to see how I was doing, and that this was a much more serious conversation. "Is there something I can do for you?"

There was a small pause. _"Perhaps there is, my dear. Would you be able to come by the house after school on Monday? We've recently acquired some knowledge of personal matters, and we think you might be able to shed light on certain things."_

My brows furrowed. "Is this about Edward and Jasper going to Biloxi? I told him that place has nothing to do with me; it was just a dream. Doctor Cullen, I can assure you I would be no more help to you than a milk bucket under a bull."

Someone snorted on the other line, but I highly doubted it was Carlisle. He didn't seem the snorting type. However, I wasn't the snorting type, but I had the same reaction the first time Leah used that line on me. It made my point, though, and I felt the need to use it. _"Calling me Carlisle is just fine, Bella, and if it is all the same, we really would appreciate your presence here. If you could just indulge us in a few questions, however pointless it may seem to you, we would be very grateful."_

"I…" I didn't _want_ to; Alice would be there and then I'd have to face that night out in the woods with her. Granted, she would be at school on Monday, and I couldn't keep skipping. Teachers dislike absent students, and I didn't want to get kicked out. Not that it mattered much, but Sam asked a favour of me, and already I was going back on my word by skipping. However, I didn't want to go _especially_ if my emotions were out of control as they had been lately. What if something happened? Twice, two different times had my emotions triggered flames without my permission now. That was more than dangerous for vampires. I also couldn't deny the fact that my curiosity was peaked withe Edward's return and what he had found out, even if I knew it had nothing to do with me. I was sure it didn't.

But… what if it did?

Sighing deeply, I hung my head and closed my eyes. "If that is really what you wish, I will do it." I agreed reluctantly.

He, too, sighed, though his was in relief. _"Thank you, Bella, you don't know how much that is appreciated. If there is anything we can ever do to repay you, do not hesitate to let us know."_

"It's fine, Carlisle, I… I don't mind." I said, murmuring a quick goodbye and hung up the phone.

Leah and Jacob both gave me a few moments to myself after the phone call to sit alone in silence and consider everything that was said. My lips pressed into a firm line and I looked down at my hand that had been engulfed in flames earlier, clenching it into a fist.

Everything was changing, or was about to. I could feel it, building up, coming at me like a tidal wave. All of us -Jacob, Leah, Me, the pack, Sam, Alice, Edward, and the rest of the Cullens-, we were all on the precipice of change, but could they feel it? Were they aware that something, something _big_, was about to happen?

I had been in… _many_ battles over the years. The Elders didn't call me a Warrior for nothing. Perhaps, though, it was that battle sense that told me something was coming, and in which case the others wouldn't know. Jacob and the Pack wouldn't, at least, but I was here for them. I could protect them. Would the Cullens know, though? The thought of them, of Alice, unaware and alone when it happens-

"Bella?" Leah asked hesitantly, sitting down on the love seat, scooting to the edge and closer to me. "You alright? You look… upset, actually. Huh." Her brows furrowed but she shook her head. "Is everything okay?"

Her and Jacob both were looking at me with concern and I shook my head, smoothing out my features. "Everything is fine. Don't worry." I reassured them, grabbing my bowl of popcorn. "So, we're to believe that a bathtub can shield two grown men from a bomb explosion?"

Grinning and plopping down in his spot again, Jake laughed. "It was just a little bomb under the toilet to blow him up."

**XXxxXXxxXXxxXX**

"So, like, are you friends with the Cullens, or something." Lauren and Jessica stood in front of the doors to the cafeteria, one with the arms crossed over their chest, the other with their hands on their hips. "Wait, are you, like, dating Edward?" Her face twisted up.

Jessica snorted. "You're, like, kidding right, Lauren? Look; she's wearing a tee shirt and a vest. He wouldn't chose her over you."

My eyes flickered down to my midnight blue tee shirt and the black vest. I had _thought_ it looked nice with a pair of black jeans and blue chucks that Leah threw at me earlier in the morning. Emily said I looked nice. Not too casual for meeting with the Cullens later, but not too formal that it would be weird.

"Why were you sitting with him on Thursday?" Lauren snapped, gaining my attention again.

The doors behind them swung open again and I could see an amused looking Emmett at the far end of the room. I wondered if they could hear this conversation, or if someone said something funny at their table. Though, as I knew it, the giant was constantly laughing and grinning. Perhaps nothing was said and he couldn't hear us; he was just in a good mood.

Jessica snapped her fingers in front of my face. "We're, like, talking to you. That is so, like, rude to just ignore us."

"I apologize," I ducked my head, feeling guilty. That _was_ rude to ignore them while they were talking to me. Even if I didn't like their company nor the topic. Or how they were talking. Not the way they were looking at me, either.

Hmm.

I don't think I liked Lauren or Jessica in general.

Lauren rolled her eyes, sighing deeply. "_Why_ were you sitting together? Is she slow or something?" She turned to Jessica.

Tilting my head, I curiously watched the silent exchange between the two, my hands gripping the strap of my messenger bag across my chest. "Emmett talks too loud."

They both looked at me. "What?"

"That is why I was sitting with Edward. His brother, Emmett, talks too loud." I repeated honestly, my eyes flickering back and fourth between the two. "Personally I didn't care, but Edward was worried, and Rosalie does not like me very much, so they decided he would sit with me."

Jessica scowled at me. "Why can't you just give us a straight, real answer. God, you're a freak." She hissed, grabbing Lauren's arm and pulled her into the cafeteria and over to their table, all the while grumbling about me.

I stared after them as I walked through the doors, blinking. I gave them my answer… why were they upset? My brows furrowed but I let it go, making my way to one of the empty tables in the corner of the room, pulling off my bag and setting it on the table in front of me. Right before I could sit down, there was a giant sitting across the table from me, smiling ear to ear. I raised an eyebrow, lowering down into my seat. "Good afternoon, Emmett."

"So you don't care how loud I am, eh?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

My head tilted to the side. "I… no." For some reason, I felt like there was more behind his words and I was missing it. I looked over his shoulder to his family that were watching us, looking away as Alice's golden eyes met mine, staring intently at my lap. "You don't have to keep doing this. I honestly do not mind sitting by myself and being alone."

Emmett scoffed. "I don't know who you're trying to kid - no one likes being alone."

My shoulders rose and fell. "As you say."

"You don't make things easy, do you?" He grinned at me.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You've got to work hard at the things worth having."

"Well, this family is dead set on getting to know you, Bella, and you'll soon learn that there isn't anything we don't work hard at." He said in a surprisingly serious tone.

My brows furrowed and I studied his face, looking behind him to see the rest of his family 'not paying attention'. "Why?" I asked. Sure, vampires were curious creatures. They were, for all intents and purposes, immortal and lived for a _very _long time, and to come across new and different things, for them, was one of the greatest treats in a life that could get very repetitious. But this was different, somehow, I could see it in each of them. It wasn't just curiosity; there was purpose in their efforts.

"You're important." He said simply.

Important? I was…important? "Why am I important? How am I important? To who?" I asked before I could stop myself. Did Edward really find something out about me in Biloxi? Did they know…well, me?

Emmett seemed taken aback, sitting up straighter. He shook his head, looking almost confused. "I can't say anything else."

"What did you find in Biloxi?" I demanded. He knew things about me, and were keeping them secret? Dangling them in front of me like a slab of meat for a hungry dog? "Please, Emmett, tell me."

He looked over his shoulder at his family for help and then back to me. "Wait…no, I… this ins't fun anymore. I don't really know… I mean, what I said before wasn't…"

Taking a deep breath, I smashed down all the feelings and sensations in my chest, grimacing against them, until I couldn't feel them anymore. I rolled my shoulders and let out that deep breath, looking back up at Emmett with a blank face. "I don't have a vehicle; I'll need transportation to your house this afternoon."

He seemed to calm down now that I was calm myself, and slowly relaxed again, nodding his head. "Yeah, we thought of that. Alice brought her car and volunteered to give you a ride to our place and back to the boarder afterwards."

I inclined my head. "I appreciate it."

**xxxxxxxx**

One Michael Newton, who had been avoiding me since our first little meeting my first day here, shoved passed me and down the steps into the parking lot. He was grinning and shouting some sort of nonsense to his friend, Tyler Crowley, playfully shoving each other. I realized, going to school here, that the kids were generally happier at the end of the day. They all seemed sluggish and upset in the morning, hyper during lunch, and just very happy by the afternoon.

I, on the other hand, took my time gathering my books after class and pulling on my coat. I dragged my feet through the hallways, taking the longer routes to the parking lot, and hesitated at the steps. My eyes scanned the parking lot, taking in all the vans, the trucks, old beat up cars, and whatnot. The only two cars that stuck out amongst the others were a shiny, silver volvo, and a bright canary yellow porsche. The windows were so tinted they looked black, and you couldn't see inside the car.

Leaning against the back of said shiny car, was the Pixie herself. It was then that I realized what she was wearing for the day, and noticed that she matched her car. Had she done it on purpose? The normally tiny Pixie was closer to my height in her bright, yellow heels, with a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, a yellow blouse, and a yellow head band in her hair that was styled in chaos again. Her golden eyes shone as she smiled and waved at me, revealing pearly whites.

Knowing I couldn't put it off any longer without offending her, I headed down the steps and across the parking lot. The silver volvo pulled out of the parking lot moments before I made it to Alice, heading off down the opposite way of the rode most of the other cars were headed. I stopped a few feet away from Alice, my hands shoved deep in my pockets, staring intently at the back left tire. "Hello," I murmured weakly.

"Hello, Bella!" She chirped in her high soprano voice. "How are you today?" She asked politely.

Slowly, I forced my eyes back up to hers. She was smiling warmly at me, that same intense look in her eyes. A pressure started building in my chest, making it hard to breathe, and I was bewildered to find that it was actually a pleasant feeling. Not being able to breathe felt…_good_. What _was_ that? "Confused," I replied honestly, staring at her with wide eyes full of disbelief.

She tilted her head slightly, looking amused and curious. "Oh? confused about what? Maybe I can help."

Pressing my lips into a firm line, I slowly shook my head. "I just don't understand why your family needs me. I have no answers for you."

Her smiled dimmed, barely noticeable, but I still caught it. And that pressure hallowed just as quick, dissipating until it was gone again and I was left feeling…empty. Like normal.

My normal was empty?

Was Jacob right? Had I been asleep until now? Was I dead before this? Did I want to go back to being 'robotic Bella' again, if I found that channel and closed it off?

Was he also right in saying that it was Alice who made me feel like this? Is she the one who, essentially, wakes me up? Brings me to life? Fills the emptiness?

How did she do this? Why? What did it mean? Did she know she could do it?

"Even if you have no answers for us, it's always nice talking to you." She chimed, reaching out and lightly squeezing my arm. The pressure returned. "Esme and Carlisle never have the pleasure of talking to you like we do because we go to school together. You've never properly met Esme, actually, and she wants to rectify that."

I stared at her for a moment before nodding, heading around to the passenger seat. "If that is what you wish."

Alice zipped around the side of the car and was in the passenger seat before I could blink, beaming over at me. She started up the car, closing her eyes to listen to it, smiling even brighter, and then pulled out of the parking lot. "You don't have to do this just because we asked, Bella. If you don't want to; I can drop you off at the boarder." She said seriously. "You should do things because you like them or because _you_ want to, not for other people."

"I… I have no problem with doing this. It is important to Carlisle, and if I have the ability to help, it is my duty to do so. Everyone shares that responsibility, though a lot of people choose to ignore it." I replied. "Times have changed and society has advanced in many different ways, but it had also devolved in some regards. People have forgotten their connections to one another and the responsibilities that comes with it."

She smiled secretly at me, humming under her breath. "You're older than eighteen, aren't you?" She said knowingly. I nodded. "You sound older than Carlisle, even."

"How old is Carlisle?" I asked curiously.

She winked at me, smiling brightly. "He's going on four hundred."

"And you?" I asked.

She laughed lightly, shaking her head. "Bella, you should know; you never ask a lady her age."

My brows furrowed. "But you asked me." I said.

"I assumed you are older than eighteen, that's different than asking how old you are." She grinned cheekily. Her hand left the steering wheel to lightly slap just above my knee. "Including my human years, I'm around one hundred and twelve years."

"Hm," I hummed, nodding.

We continued to ride in silence for a few more minutes. I watched out the window the entire time, looking at all the trees, noticing a lack of houses, cars, or people in general. I suppose vampires would prefer privacy, though. No risk of being too loud, or of people seeing them acting more in their nature.

"Bella, about that night in the woods-" Alice began.

My heart jumped up into my throat and I swallowed hard. "I would prefer not to talk about that." I said quickly. "It was my fault anyways; I shouldn't have interrupted your hunt."

Alice looked away out her window, biting her lip. "That… don't worry about it. I apologize for reacting the way I did, that… must have been uncomfortable?" She asked, glancing back at me.

"Is that your house?" I asked, my eyes widening at the white and glass mansion.

Alice turned down the twisting, gravel driveway, smiling brightly. "Yes, this is our home. I'm glad you like it." She said, parking behind the silver volvo. She was out and around the side of the car before I could reach for my handle, opening my door and holding out her hand with a smile. My brows furrowed before I reached out and took her pale, delicate hand that was so much stronger than my own. She pulled me up to me feet, right in front of her, like I weighed nothing at all. "Esme made you a snack, she was very excited to cook."

Her Vanilla/Chocolate scent engulfed me and made it difficult to think. "Yes,"

"Yes?" She questioned, looking up at me with a confused smile.

I hummed, blinking a few times and stepped back. "What?"

Alice giggled softly, shaking her head. "Nothing,"

"Right," I agreed slowly, looking back up at the house.

She laced the fingers of our hands that were still joined, offering me a reassuring smile. "Shall we?"

Taking one last look at the pixie and then up to the house, I hesitated but a moment before nodding.

"Yes,"

**xxxxxxxxx**

**UPDATE! WOOO**

**What do you think?**

**Comments?**

**Thoughts?**

**Words?**

**-Paige**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or anything familiar. And in the off chance that I use something that turns out to be someone else's, I hereby disclaim that too. I hear that happens a lot. Unintentional plagiarism or something like that.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: xPaige. Turnerx**

**Summary: AU. A/B. R/Em. E/J. Es/C. What's that? An all out war between vampires, shape shifters, and…what? Where will the girls find time to fall in love? Pssh, you know they will.**

**-Bella-**

The Cullen mansion was big. Very, _very_ big, I soon found out, and not just on the outside. Alice led us through the front door and into a large foyer with a grand staircase across the room. It was all very bright, too, which was surprising. It wasn't that I believed in the cliches and thought they'd live in a dark, ominous building, sleeping in caskets, or anything. There was just so much more white than I thought there would be, and it seemed like every other wall was made of windows. Everything was just so bright and open; you'd think this was a summer house or something.

Furrowing my brows, I glanced down at my feet and then to Alice's yellow heels, wondering if I should take my shoes off. The white tiled floors were spotless; not a speck of dirt or dust was in sight, but neither were any shoes. Where were the others' shoes? Did they wear them in the house, like they would slippers? But slippers were meant to keep your feet warm, and vampires weren't affected by temperature like other people—they didn't have to worry about cold feet. Their coats, too! Where were their coats? There was no closet close by, nor a coat hanger full of jackets. Did they wear everything to their rooms and leave it there, clothes hanging in their closets and shoes put away nicely?

Why was I obsessing over trivial things like clothes and shoes? Nerves. It had to be nerves. Leah's younger brother, Seth, always did this when he got nervous, which was usually when he was talking to girls. He'd start going on and on… and on and on about the smallest, weirdest things. He once had a fifteen minute conversation on how he tied his shoes, talking about different techniques like the 'bunny ear,' the 'loop, swoop, and pull,' and many others.

I wasn't nervous, though, was I? What did I have to be nervous about? I'd met vampires before. This wasn't a new thing for me. Nor was I afraid of them—I knew how to defend myself. It wasn't like this was going to be a complicated conversation, either, once they found out that I _really_ couldn't help them with any questions Carlisle had.

"Is something wrong, Bella?" Alice's wind chime voice asked, her cool, pale hand lightly squeezing my own.

My eyes flickered back up to Alice's golden ones. "No… I just," I paused, looking back down at my feet. "My shoes. I don't know what to do with my shoes."

The giggle that escaped Alice's lips made my heart beat faster, and knowing that she and every other vampire in the house could hear it, I took a deep breath to slow it back down. It somewhat worked, though Alice's smile curved up even more. She lightly shook her head, looking down to her own heels. "Don't worry about them, Bella, you can keep them on. I like wearing my heels around the house."

"So she doesn't feel like a midget." Emmett's booming voice was still loud, even coming from a different room somewhere in the mansion.

Alice's jaw clenched and she glared through one of the walls, scowling slightly. Obviously she had a thing about her height, and didn't like people poking fun at it. Or maybe it was just Emmett's crude midget joke. I had a feeling that one of Emmett's talents was getting under people's skin; he seemed the type that it came easily to.

Choosing to ignore his comments, Alice led us out of the foyer and down a hallway. I could hear a TV and other noises slowly getting louder and figured that most of the coven, if not all, were in the living room. I was right; they were all lounging one way or another in the grand room that we entered, looking very much like the family they claimed to be.

Again, it wasn't that I thought they sat around drinking blood all day… but still, I hadn't thought they'd be so…regular.

Both Emmett and Jasper were sitting on the couch with game controllers in their hands, furiously tapping away at buttons and making their players in the video game move and kill people. Rosalie sat on the love seat next to Esme, reading a book with her legs tucked up on the couch underneath her, her chin resting in one hand with her elbow on the arm of the love seat. Edward was sitting at the sleek, black piano in the corner of the room, a soft, slow melody filling the air as he fluidly slid his hands over the ivory keys. Carlisle seemed content to watch his 'sons' play their game, sitting on a lounging chair with a smile on his face.

Esme got to her feet, nothing more than a blur, before she stood in front of Alice and me. Her caramel hair fell in waves over her shoulders, her heart-shaped face warm as she smiled brightly at me. "It's good to finally properly meet you, Bella," she said. Her voice, like Alice's and Rosalie's, had a certain…melodic quality to it, while all the males' were just smooth and soothing. Although it was difficult to describe anything about Emmett's speech—what he said, how he said it, what he did—as soothing. "I'm Esme, Alice's mother."

"A pleasure to meet you, Esme," I replied, letting my hand slide from Alice's to replace it with her mother's to shake. "You have a lovely home," I added.

Her smile brightened, and I realized that I was probably the first guest they'd had in their house before. They couldn't exactly invite people from school or work over; having humans in the house made little sense. Unless, of course, they knew other vampires. Wouldn't they invite them over?

"Thank you. Is there anything I can get you? A drink, or a snack, maybe?"

My first instinct was to decline. I didn't want to be a bother, and I didn't plan on staying there very long. However, I remembered what Alice said outside of the car, about Esme having made a snack already, excited about cooking. My eyes flickered back over to Alice quickly. "Well… I wouldn't want to trouble you…?" I said, though it sounded more like a question as I looked at Alice for confirmation.

Esme beamed. "It's no trouble at all; I've already made something!" she said, almost bouncing out of the room. There were a few chuckles around the room at that.

"Good to see you, again, Bella," Carlisle said, running a hand through his blonde hair and standing in front of me.

I shook his hand politely, offering a small smile. "And you," I replied.

Emmett looked up from the TV screen, his grin nearly splitting his face, it was so wide. He waved his massive arm around wildly; Jasper had to duck a few times to dodge it while he continued to play. "Hi, Bella!" the giant boomed out.

My lips curved up slightly. "Hello, Emmett," I said quietly. My attention quickly returned to the doctor, however, as he ushered me over to another one of the couches. Alice took a seat next to me, smiling reassuringly.

"I do feel the need to repeat to you, Carlisle, that I will not likely be any help this afternoon. I hope none of you have gotten your hopes up," I warned, frowning slightly as I took in Alice's, Emmett's, and Carlisle's smiles.

The blonde Doctor nodded, sitting back down in his chair a few feet away and clasping his hands in his lap. "There is no pressure on you here, Bella, whatsoever. If you have nothing to offer us once we've asked a few questions, that is completely fine. It's nice to see you, whatever the occasion."

My brow rose, and Jasper looked up from their game, smiling politely. "It isn't often that we meet new people and don't have to hide what we are."

"Oh," I replied, not knowing what else to say. Over the years, I never really went out of my way to hide what I was. I didn't scream from the rooftops that I wasn't human, but there was no elaborate story behind me that I made up for complete strangers, nor did I hide away from the public eye. Although, over the years, I _had_ learned to sort of just blend into the background. No one ever noticed that I never aged, mostly because no one—other than the Pack and Council—ever noticed _me_.

Esme breezed back into the room, setting a plate and a glass down on the coffee table in front of me. She took a seat on the arm of Carlisle's chair, smiling nervously. "Are cookies and milk all right? I didn't exactly know, so I went with what I've seen on TV before, but that was always for much younger children. There's also pretzels and chip—I could make some dip, too, or—"

"I like cookies," I said quickly, putting my hand up when Esme got to her feet again. I cleared my throat, smiling when she looked at me. "Really, this is great. Cookies are… good snacks," I continued, picking up one of them and taking a bite. My eyes widened at the warm, chewy, goodness. I made an appreciative noise and took a sip of the milk, sitting back. "So." I looked back over to Carlisle. "What exactly did you need to ask me?"

Jasper and Emmett paused their game again and set down the controllers, looking up at me, while Rosalie put down her book, and Edward looked up from his piano. My back straightened slightly, the hairs on the back of my neck sticking up at all the attention.

Carlisle smiled, shifting in his seat, and leaned forward slightly. "I suppose we should just get right into it then. Edward has mentioned that you have some memory issues."

I glanced over to Edward, who looked slightly sheepish, and had I been worried about him telling the others things about me, I probably would have said something. However, it wasn't that big of a deal for me—I didn't much care—so I looked back over to Carlisle and shrugged a shoulder. "Some, yes," I replied.

"How far back do you remember in your life?" he asked curiously.

My fingers twitched, and I thought back to the weekend and my talk with Jacob. Would I be having the same conversation with the Cullens? And after only knowing them for such a short time, when it took me seventeen years of Jacob's life to tell him? Or did it have nothing to do with either, but I was only now ready _myself_ to discuss it, no matter with whom? "I remember the past ninety years of my life, with… mostly clarity."

"Mostly clarity?" Emmett asked, tilting his head.

My shoulder rose and fell again. "Yes, well, I don't have a perfect memory like you vampires. I cannot relive any time in my life. I remember most things: events, people, details like that, as any human would. But I do not remember every single day of those ninety years. I couldn't tell you what I was doing this day, fifteen years ago." My brows furrowed and I shook my head. "I'm sorry, but what does this have to do with you and your personal matters?"

Alice placed her hand on my shoulder, and I looked over at her curiously. That same intensity from before returned, and though she appeared calm on the outside, I could see she wasn't on the inside. I could almost feel it.

"Because _I_ can only remember the last ninety years of _my_ life."

Pressing my lips into a firm line, I stared hard at the pixie-like vampire sitting in front of me. I glanced to Carlisle and the others quickly before resting my gaze back on Alice, raising an eyebrow again. "…Eh?"

She smiled nervously, fiddling with her fingers in her lap. "I don't remember my human life, not at all. Everything is just… black before I woke up as a vampire. The very first memory I have is feeling this intense burn in my throat, the name Alice being screamed in my head, and running. I don't even know how long I ran for, days, until I had my first vision of Jasper and joining the Cullens."

My hand started reaching out for her until I stopped, slowly lowering it again. "I'm sorry, Alice," I said quietly. The need to hold her, tightly, and just… be closer, it was nearly overwhelming, so much so that I had to cross my arms over my chest to keep from reaching out again. I knew what it was like to be in her position, and I _hated_ knowing that she, too, had once felt so lost, so alone. It was… it was frightening, not knowing who or what you are. Where you're from or where you belong. Not knowing anything and feeling so helpless was horrible, and to think that Alice had gone through all of that too…made my breathing shaky.

"It's all right; I'm good now. Better than good, I have my family," Alice replied quickly, trying to reassure me. "It's just a little odd that you can only remember the same amount of time as me."

That _was_ odd. How often did that kind of coincidence happen? "That is…weird," I agreed, looking around the room at them all again. What was going on here? "I still don't understand how my lack of memory would affect your family."

"We think you knew Alice," Rosalie blurted out. The rest of the family whipped their heads around to stare at her, shocked. She shrugged, rolling her eyes. "What? You were all going to dance around the subject forever, wasting time, when you could be saving time and effort and just get to the point. Amnesiac or not, Bella doesn't need to be coddled, and neither does Alice."

They continued to stare at her, Esme sighing at her daughter, so I quickly spoke up. "I agree," I said, and they all turned back to look at me. "For me, at least. I appreciate your concern and efforts to do this gently, but I'd rather get to the point. Why do you believe I knew Alice when she was human?"

Clearing his throat, Edward slowly stood up from the piano. He smiled gently at me and pulled a few photos out of his back pocket, sitting down on the couch on my other side. "When Jazz and I went to Biloxi, we didn't find much. The town aged with the rest of the world, and the old records in the library had dozens of Bellas, Isabellas, and every other form of your name."

I nodded, utterly confused. I still didn't know what this had to do with me.

His smile turned crooked, and he ran his hand through his hair, gathering his bronze locks out of his eyes. "We couldn't find _anything_ on you and we were about to leave, when Jasper saw it."

I chewed my bottom lip, looking between the two mates. "Saw what?"

"Have you ever seen murals, Bella?" he asked. "Ones on the sides of buildings?"

I nodded my head. Embry's uncle was an artist, and when he was younger he'd take pictures of the beach, the cliffs, bonfires, and other things, and would get paid to turn them into murals. His most "famous" one around the reservation was of the cliffs and choppy waters, which he painted on the back of the old barbershop.

Jasper pointed to the photos Edward handed to me. "That mural was painted on the side of the library building. It was fairly large, so we took a few different pictures of the more… important parts of the mural."

My brows furrowed in confusion as I shuffled through the photos. It was of a park, clearly—a big open area full of vibrant green grass, hills, even a small little creek running through it in the background, with woods at the edge. People obviously enjoyed it, as there were many different families in the mural, but one stuck out.

The mother looked familiar: beaming smiles and bright eyes, with long, light hair under her sun hat. Her dress was old (this had era long since passed), as were the dresses her daughters were wearing. The husband had a more serious face and was almost frowning, looking out of place in his suit, standing awkwardly with his arm around his wife and his other hand on the shoulder of his youngest daughter. He didn't look happy. Not like the youngest daughter, who, like her mother, was beaming as well, grinning at whoever had taken the picture to make the mural. Her long dark hair was tucked behind her ears, her small hand desperately gripping her older sister's.

"What…" I murmured, glancing up at Alice in confusion before looking back down at the picture. The older sister was tiny, her more mature features the only difference between her and her sister. Her little button nose was familiar, as were her thick, curly lashes, her high cheek bones, nearly everything about her. Her flowing dark hair was in a braid, hanging around her neck and down her chest. She had a smile, though it wasn't quite happy like her mother's or sisters. It was… a secret smile, like the one Alice had given me earlier in the car, one that hid pleasant secrets. She was holding her sister's hand, and mostly facing whoever took the picture, but her face was turned slightly, her eyes looking up and to the side.

I shuffled to the next picture and gasped, my jaw falling open.

That… that couldn't be right.

This was a weird coincidence.

Or a mistake.

_Something._

Almost hidden between the family and another one, was a dark figure. It was obviously feminine, by what curves weren't hidden, though her clothes were an odd choice. Not the dresses other girls wore, but slacks, a button up, and suspenders, like the little boys running around. This was no little girl, either. Grown, late in her teenage years, maybe even early twenties. Her dark hair was loose and down, blowing in the wind, and her face ducked, trying to hide from the picture. There was a slight quirk to her lips, though, and her own eyes were looking up and over, meeting the eldest daughter's, returning that secret smile.

"That…" I cleared my throat, jerkily shoving the photos back into Edward's hands. I shook my head, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear, and took a deep breath. "That was… me… and you," I finally said, looking back over to Alice, who looked concerned. She reached out and grabbed my hand, nodding slowly. My hand reached up to rub my forehead, and I took comfort in the fact that it was steady.

I took another deep breath, pulling my hand from Alice's. Yes, I was in control right now and thankful for that, but I didn't want to risk losing that control and hurting her. It was bad enough being in the same room with the rest of them, knowing that I didn't have emotional stability right now, and that lack of stability was triggering my fire. Holding my hand like that was just asking for trouble, and I wouldn't risk Alice like that.

"You're younger," I murmured, looking back up to Alice. She stared down at my hand, then looked away and nodded. "Only a few years, but still. I'm…the same," I said, furrowing my brows. Had I always been like this? Had I never been a child?

Carlisle cleared his throat, looking at me curiously when I glanced up. "Does your kind usually age?"

"I—" The words died on my tongue, and I clenched my jaw.

_I don't know._

"This is in Biloxi?" I asked, looking over to Edward and Jasper. They nodded, exchanging looks. "What did you find out about Alice?"

Jasper shook his head, looking slightly pained as he glanced down at his younger sister. Alice was sitting unnaturally still, even for a vampire, with a neutral mask on her face. "That's the thing: we couldn't find anything. We don't know her real name. There weren't any Alices there."

"There were a few names and documents scratched out or stolen, leaving no traces, but we thought it was just you, trying hide your tracks. It's what Carlisle did for the first little while when he realized that he didn't age, so he could return to places he'd been and they wouldn't know any different," Edward said.

"I do not put myself in that position to begin with," I replied, shaking my head. There were no documents of me to erase. Not anymore, at least. Had I done that in the past?

Emmett leaned forward from the couch. "We were hoping this would jog your memory so you could give us something. Anything. Ali-Cat's real name, so that we could go back and look for her."

My frown deepened, and I looked over at Alice who was staring intently at the corner of the room, one arm wrapped around herself, the other propped up on the arm of the couch, holding her chin in her palm. The emptiness returned, and I felt my shoulders sag, this hollow disappointment building in me. I felt sick, not being able to remember, not being able to help Alice. "I can't," I whispered. My fists clenched, and I cleared my throat, shaking everything off. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you. I can't remember," I said more firmly, ignoring the ache in my chest.

If this was the other side of the spectrum on the whole emotions deal, then I didn't want any part of it. Feeling good wasn't worth feeling this bad. I hated this—the lump forming in my throat, the ache and pain I could feel at the sadness in Alice's eyes, this desperate _need_ to help her, fix this, just so she smiles. What was the point of feeling like this? What purpose did it serve? There was no reason for it. Feelings were useless; they wouldn't help me, they wouldn't help Alice. I didn't _want_ them. If Jacob loved them so much, then he could have mine, because I was done with them.

Alice bit her lip, blinking a few times, and then looked over to me with dark eyes. She smiled, but the smile was strained. Weak. "That's all right, Bella. Believe me, I know how difficult it is. If there's anything I can take away from this, it's that we knew each other once upon a time. We looked happy, too," she said, some warmth coming back to that smile. "And that I had a sister, a mother, and a father."

A bitterness pooled in my stomach, feeling like acid as it worked its way up my throat, and I swallowed deeply. Hearing that word, _father_, coming from Alice, in her voice… My jaw clenched again, and I let out a shaky breath. Something was…wrong. I could feel such…anger and rage burning in me at it that my hands started to shake.

_"Bella, I'm scared. I can't leave her here alone with father. I need to be here to protect her."_

"Bella, are you all right?" Carlisle asked, raising his voice. My head snapped up, and he flinched, surprised at the glare on my face.

"Sorry…" I rolled my shoulders and sighed deeply, shaking the thoughts and feelings from my head.

Calm. I'm calm. I would stay calm.

Carlisle nodded, smiling gently again. "There was something else I wanted to mention, in case you still didn't remember." I nodded, urging him on. His smile turned sheepish and he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not sure you're going to like it; it's a…fairly large favour…"

**xxxxxxxxx**

Leah and Jacob followed me through the Blacks' house eagerly, nearly tripping over each other in the process. I was tempted to make a joke about puppies when their owner returns home, and the fact that they shift into giant wolves, but thought better of it. Leah had a mean right hook that she tended to let loose on those kinds of jokes. So instead, I waited for them to calm down while I made my way to my and Jake's room, riffling through the closet.

"Come on, tell us how it went!" Jake whined, plopping down on his bed, bouncing. He was grinning from ear to ear, though that could have something to do with the fact that he changed the rear tire on my bike. He wanted to race me on his dirt bike but hadn't really thought of the fact that _my_ bike wasn't all terrain. Needless to say, I got a flat tire and had to take the bus to school for the last couple of days.

Leah was definitely less excited. In fact, she still wore the same scowl that she'd had that morning before I left for school. Really, she'd had that scowl ever since I told those two I was going to the Cullens'. Jake was upset that I'd be going alone, but I think Leah was just upset for the fact that I was _willing_ to go. It was odd, because she'd been doing really well with her prejudice, calling them vampires or even "the Cullens" instead of leeches and blood suckers, or pale-faces like Paul did.

So basically, I was hesitant to tell them—her—the news.

"Well… I found out that Alice can't remember her human life," I said slowly, as I pulled out a duffle bag and tossed it on the bed, sitting down next to it and Jake. Both of them eyed it curiously, but were more concerned with what I was saying.

Huffing, Leah crossed her arms over her chest. "Who cares?" My eyes narrowed at her as yet another foreign feeling ran through me. All I knew what that I didn't like Leah taking that tone and saying those words. "All right, that was rude, but seriously. Why does that matter? It doesn't have anything to do with you."

"I knew her when she was human," I said quickly.

Both of their eyes widened and their jaws dropped simultaneously. Jake closed his mouth only to open it again a few seconds later, repeating the process a few times. Finally he shook his head, scratching the back of his neck. "Well that's…um…what? Why didn't you mention this before? Especially when we talked about how she…uh…" His dark eyes flickered over to Leah, as if just remembering she was there, and he faltered. "Er, what I mean is…um…"

"Why _didn't_ you tell us?" Leah snapped, deciding to ignore Jake's little fumble. Her tone was hurt, as were her eyes, and her posture got more rigid.

Sighing, I ran my hand through my hair. "I can't remember. I don't remember her."

"Well then how do you know you knew her? They could be setting you up or something; they probably want something from you. Maybe they think you can change the treaty so they can start feeding from humans or something," she growled, glaring at me.

Jake put his hand on her shoulder, not fazed when she roughly shook him off. "Hey, come on now, Leah. That's reaching, they wouldn't do that. They wouldn't use her like that."

She growled again, shaking her head furiously, and I could only watch numbly. Why was Leah getting so twisted about this? "She would! Bella, she's just a damn vampire, and you're getting too close. She'll take what she can get from you and hurt you. You need to distance yourself from them, you need to stay home, here with me—and Jake," she said, her eyes desperate. "It was a stupid idea to send you to Forks alone to watch them."

I slowly shook my head, utterly confused, and not knowing how to respond to all of that. I looked over to Jacob who just shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, but I could see understanding in his eyes. He obviously knew something I didn't.

"Well… I saw a picture of her when she was human. I was in it," I said quietly.

Leah sighed deeply, glaring down at the floor. She was calm now, though, so I took that as a good sign. "Yeah, 'cause it's not like there's such thing as PhotoShop," she scoffed. "So, what, they want you to come over after school now and try to remember or something?" She paused. "Maybe you forgot her for a reason. You ever think of that?"

An uneasy feeling settled in my gut, making me shift around and make a face. "No, on both accounts," I replied. "I'm… traveling with them to Biloxi."

…

"WHAT!"

I wasn't sure who said it, but the sheer volume of the one word had me cringing. "Well…"

_The Cullens all exchanged looks with one another while Carlisle hesitated, and I unconsciously leaned forward. Finally he sighed and offered me a small smile. "We were wondering if you would consider coming with us to Biloxi." My eyes widened and he quickly continued, "We, of course, would pay for all the expenses: hotel rooms, food, transportation, et cetera, and if it would make you feel better, you may bring along one of the wolves, and we'd pay for them as well."_

_All the eyes in the room shifted to me, and I cleared my throat. "Uh…"_

_Esme tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, smiling gently. "Sometimes it helps amnesiacs to revisit the actual scenes or places where they've lost their memories, whether the cause was trauma_—_emotional, physical, or otherwise_—_or an accident of some sort. Being able to see, feel, and smell things can jog memories and let them resurface."_

_"I see," I murmured. That made sense, and I had seen it on television shows before, usually _CSI_ or _and Order_, shows like that. Victims would be walked through their attacks, even taken back to the crime scenes, to relive them and try to remember details they couldn't before. _

_Rosalie hummed quietly, looking interested. Her chin was still resting in the palm of her hand as she lightly tapped her long, red nails against her bottom lip. "This is as beneficial to you as it is to Alice. This is _your_ forgotten past, as well. You aren't even a little curious?"_

"So you just accepted? Just like that?" Leah asked incredulously.

I nodded. "Yes, I did." My voice was calm and certain and I looked at both Leah and Jacob, who was stunned back into silence again. "I have lived here on the reservation for many, many years. I have not left, not to go to Seattle, not even to Port Angeles. I have been here, _right_ here, because I had to be."

"Why?" Jake asked, confused.

I looked over to him. "Because I had to be," I repeated simply. "I've always known; I can feel it. This is where I need to be, and I've waited here, stayed here, for all these years because I had to."

He shook his head, his brows furrowing. "Yeah, but _why_ did you have to? To become part of the Council? Is there, like, a fight you had to do here or something? Why do you need to be here?"

"I don't know, I just know that I do." I shrugged.

Leah grumbled to herself. "Well that sucks. Why would you stay if you don't even know the reason for staying in the first place? Nothing's happened in all these years."

A deep sigh escaped my lips as I stared at the two. I didn't know how to explain this to them. They didn't get it. "I do because I know I have to; it doesn't matter if I don't know why. And now I have to go with the Cullens to Biloxi because I need to." The same feeling telling me to come here, to stay here in Forks, was now telling me to go to Biloxi. I needed to, I could feel it; I had to go.

Jacob shook his head, looking a little overwhelmed. "Well… all right then. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, I guess, and if you get to learn about your past, that's a bonus, right?" he said, rubbing his chin.

I was glad that at least Jake understood. Or, even if he didn't understand, he at least supported me. These were my decisions to make, and I was going to do what I knew I had to, but I was glad that Jake was on board. I don't think I could take him being upset with me, like Leah probably was.

The giant looked up suddenly, a light bulb going off in his head. "Wait, they said you could take one of us and they'd pay?"

Nodding, I got back to my feet and went over to my dresser. "Yes, Esme is taking care of the school arrangements and excuses for her kids and myself, but I'm sure you guys could also get away with a couple of days off school, considering your principal is on the Council."

"Yeah, and dad will probably let me go with you just to keep an eye on ya." Jake chuckled, getting up and grabbing a bag of his own from the closet.

Leah stalked over, grabbing the bag from his hands and tossed it back into the closet. "Wait, what makes you think you're going? _I'm_ obviously the one she's going to take."

"What? Why? You're all crazy-wanna-kill-leeches, while I'm all zen about it."

She snorted. "No, you're all blinded-by-my-innocence, unable-to-see-if-they-screw-us-over. She needs someone to keep watch."

"I can keep watch, and _politely_ too."

"You can keep watch of your ass while I go with her."

"This is a big moment; she'll be remembering parts of her life long-since forgotten. She needs a best friend, so I'm going with her."

"Jake, we discussed this. _I'm_ the girl so _I'm_ the best friend."

"You are not; _I'm_ the best friend!"

My shoulders slumped as I watched them bicker back and forth over what qualifies someone as a best friend. I sighed, grabbing a sweater and shoved it into the bag.

**Xxxxxxxxxxx**

**UPDATE! **

**So, what do you guys think? Review, man! Give me your thoughts -as weird as that sounds-!**

**And thanks to my new beta – urthsin, findin' all my mistakes and fixin' them!**

**-Paige.**

**P.S I need help finding a fic, guys, but I don't know the name.**

**Alice is a little kid and finds Bella who is an immortal shifter or were-animal of some sort, feline, and Alice calls her "Kitty". They become close as best friends and as Alice grows up she develops romantic feelings for Bella. **

**Anyone recognize this story?**


End file.
